Liang

In November of 2000, Lillian Liang began renting an apartment for $750 per month. In April of 2002 Liang petitioned under San Francisco’s rent control ordinance to have her rent halved on account of habitability problems. Her petition was denied by an administrative law judge. Liang appealed to the San Francisco Residential Rent Stabilization and Arbitration Board (Board). On November 7, 2002, Liang was advised by mailed notice that the Board had denied her appeal on October 29 and that she had “90 calendar days of the date of mailing this notice” to seek judicial review. Having exhausted her administrative remedies under the ordinance, Liang filed a one-page “Petition for Judicial Review (Code Civ. Proc. 1094.6(f))” on February 6, 2003—91 days later. The sole defendant named in the petition was the Board. Liang subsequently filed an amended petition of 21 pages, to which numerous exhibits were attached. In her amended petition Liang asked for a writ of mandate “reversing” the Board’s decision on her appeal, together with “An independent judgment, grant[ing] the rent reduction petition,” retroactive to September of 2001, in amounts ranging from 20 to 90 percent.

The…