Joe Montana sues developer of tower
Sports great Joe Montana is the latest to sue over San Francisco’s troubled Millennium Tower, alleging in court documents filed last week that the building’s developer concealed evidence that the luxury highrise is sinking — even as the company asked the former football star to promote condominium sales there.
Montana and his wife Jennifer got a reduced price to lease a condo at the exclusive property in 2010, then to buy the unit three years later, according to the lawsuit. In exchange, the couple agreed to make promotional pitches for the tower and allow the developer to use their names for marketing the complex.
The suit, filed May 4 in San Francisco County Superior Court, contends that the developer, Millennium Partners, knew about problems with the building as early as 2008, yet the couple only learned that the tower had sunk 16 inches and tilted two inches at its base last year.
The Montanas are seeking $2.7 million in reimbursement for buying the condo and $1 million for “consequential damages” from marketing, among other compensation.
The suit also names the Transit Joint Powers Authority, the public partnership that’s building a transportation center next to the highrise, as well as San Francisco’s building inspection office. According to the suit, construction of the transit center contributed to the Millennium Tower’s sinking, and neither the partnership nor city inspectors were transparent about the issues.
Neither the Montanas nor their attorneys could be immediately reached for comment Monday. Millennium Partners declined to discuss the lawsuit.
The controversy began last summer when the tilting of the 58-story residential building at 301 Mission St. became public. While no immediate safety threat is cited, the tower is expected to continue slipping and will eventually need to be rehabilitated at great expense.
Joe Montana, who played 16 seasons in the NFL, most as quarterback for the 49ers, is only the most recent to sue over the tilt. A group of homeowners has taken legal action against the developer and Joint Powers Authority, and just last week, Millennium Partners sued the Joint Powers Authority, alleging that the transit hub is the source of the the skyscraper’s woes.