RICHMOND — A lawsuit filed this month alleges Richmond Councilmember Doria Robinson and her significant other, Najari Smith, wrongfully evicted Smith’s former business partner from his home and ignored conditions that made the unit uninhabitable.
The suit filed Aug. 19 in Contra Costa Superior Court is just the latest development in a months-long dispute over the shuttered Rich City Rides bike shop.
More than $1 million in damages are being sought by Roshni McGee, who claims he was illegally forced out of his home at 801 Marina Way South #2 before his lease expired, according to legal filings.
The complaint has been brought against McGee’s landlords — Smith, who runs nonprofit Rich City Rides, property owner Charles Patterson, Robinson and the nonprofit she heads, Urban Tilth. McGee co-founded Rich City Rides Bike Cooperative with Smith and also served as the co-owner, CEO and program director.
The group of defendants are accused of causing McGee “emotional distress, discomfort, annoyance, bodily injury, pain and suffering” by failing to properly maintain the home in which McGee lived from 2019 to May, 2023, according to the lawsuit. Starting in early 2023, McGee says he was harassed and intimidated with the intent of forcing him out of the property, the suit claims.
McGee claims they neglected bug and rodent infestations, mold and mildew, defective plumbing and locks, holes in the walls and gaps in the flooring.
“These defects were severe and longstanding,” the legal filing reads.
According to the five-year lease agreement attached to the legal filing, McGee agreed to pay $1,700 a month, plus utilities. The lease expired in August of 2024, but McGee says he was forced out in May 2023. McGee was paid $16,000 from Urban Tilth to vacate the site, according to two checks attached to the court records.
Robinson, who represents District 3 on the City Council and has served as executive director of Urban Tilth since 2007, declined to comment on the lawsuit “due to the legal nature of these issues.” But she did say the lawsuit “is the continuation of political attacks,” by former Richmond Mayor Tom Butt and his sons, Andrew and Daniel. Daniel Butt is currently representing McGee in this case.
Earlier this month, the former mayor filed a complaint with the state’s election watchdog alleging Robinson of having a conflict of interest because a “comingling of funds and concern regarding any connection” between Robinson and the Rich City Rides nonprofit while she’s been on council. The Fair Political Practices Commission responded by saying Butt did not provide evidence to back up his claims, and had earlier told Robinson she properly followed legal advice to abstain from votes involving Urban Tilth, the fiscal sponsor of Rich City Rides.
“I have faith that these new claims will be found to be baseless when the truth comes out,” Robinson said of McGee’s lawsuit.
Robinson also accused McGee of stealing inventory and embezzling funds at the Rich City Bike Shop, which closed earlier this year. McGee did not immediately respond to a request for comment through his attorney. But his attorney, Daniel Butt, has posted on social media that Smith has “slandered” McGee and retaliated against him.
Smith had initially reported a burglary to the police department but an initial investigation led officers to believe no burglary took place but other potential crimes are still under investigation, Lt. Donald Patchin, a spokesperson for the Richmond Police Department, confirmed in an email Tuesday.
“It appears this is a business dispute amongst the owner/operators of the business,” Patchin said. “As a result of the initial report, investigators have determined that although a burglary does not appear to have occurred, there were some possible crimes that occurred related to the handling of business funds and property.”
