Vallejo business owners claim they've lost thousands due to city's lack of RV enforcement

VALLEJO, Calif. (KGO) -- Vallejo business owners say they've lost thousands of dollars because of the city's lack of enforcement of RVs.

Last week, the city began warning people living in RVs on East Lincoln Road that if they didn't move, they'd be towed. However, business owners say that if they don't keep the pressure on, it will impact them.

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Paul Sharma runs the Flamingo Banquet Hall. For months, he's arrived at work to see people living in RVs and cars when he shows up. They are parked right outside the fence of his property. He says the people, their pets, and their trash have had a direct impact on his business.

"It's making it unsafe for my clients. My customers are coming in and having issues booking events. Four of them cancelled, one was in the pipeline," said Sharma.

After six to seven months of no action, city officials went out to the East Lincoln location last Friday. Warning people in RVs that they had 72 hours to move or they would be towed.

The reaction was accepted by many who left, but a couple were still there Tuesday, and Sharma showed us the water pipes that they are still using, saying he is paying for the water used there.

"If you do have to move, do you know where you're gonna go?" asked ABC7 News Reporter J.R. Stone to an unhoused individual.

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"I ain't got time to move. I got a flat tire. I got stuff piled up in the rain," said David Flores.

Business owners told us that midday Tuesday five truckloads of trash were removed from the area.

Tuesday night, Sharma thanked council members for their actions, but he's concerned about enforcement going forward.

"If we don't face this problem, we are going to drive the businesses out of the City of Vallejo," said Sharma.

The mayor, along with city council members, were set to address the unhoused issue Tuesday, but tabled the discussion for a future meeting.

They had previously paused encampment sweeps in March. Council members agreed to restart them last month with a goal of four to five sweeps per month.

Sharma now hopes that he won't continue to lose clients like he has in the past.