Merchants at Vietnam Town, the Little Saigon shopping center on Story Road in San Jose, say the plaza they own has been mismanaged for years and are now taking the fight to court. They have filed a civil lawsuit seeking changes to the association board that runs the complex, arguing that blocked parking, aggressive towing and a rash of break‑ins that left some storefronts boarded up have scared off customers and squeezed already thin holiday sales. The complaint sets up a tense showdown between small business owners and the condo‑style association that controls the shared spaces.
The lawsuit, filed Nov. 4, claims the board unfairly hit restaurants with fines for using outdoor common areas, cut breaks on dues for select businesses and misused association money on what plaintiffs describe as unnecessary purchases, including a $162,000 trash compactor and roughly $800,000 in sub‑meters that they say are unusable. Financial records cited in the complaint show the large North East Medical Services clinic was billed about $4,697 a year in assessments, which merchants argue is far too low for its roughly 36,000‑square‑foot footprint. The suit names the Vietnam Town Condominium Owners Association, several former leaders and representatives tied to the project, and merchants are raising a legal fund and pushing for board changes, as reported by San José Spotlight.
Merchants Say Parking And Crime Are Driving Customers Away
“We have seen tow trucks literally waiting in the parking lot on standby,” said Jason Tran, owner of Pho This Way, describing how shoppers turn around and leave rather than risk hefty impound fees. Merchants say ramps leading to Vietnam Town’s main parking garage have been blocked off with dumpsters, while security has towed cars from the remaining spaces, shrinking the already limited parking for paying customers. They also point to repeated break‑ins that have left some shopfronts covered in plywood instead of display windows. Those accounts and business owners’ quotes were given to local reporters covering the dispute, as reported by San José Spotlight.
Developer History And Property Details
Vietnam Town bills itself as a multi‑block commercial condo development at 909–999 Story Road, with hundreds of retail condo units, a multi‑level parking structure and an anchor space of roughly 36,000 square feet, according to the project overview on the Vietnam Town website. The site notes Phase II plans under the SingHaiyi Group. Public legal summaries also show that developer Lap Tang faced bankruptcy and litigation during the project’s early years, per JuryVerdictAlert. That backstory has left lingering friction between longtime property owners, newer stakeholders and the merchants who pay monthly association assessments.
What The Lawsuit Could Mean For Merchants
The complaint seeks a full accounting of association spending along with changes to the board. If the case moves forward, it will go through the usual civil steps, including case management conferences, discovery and potential settlement talks or trial. The Superior Court of Santa Clara County offers self‑help resources that explain how general civil cases are assigned and processed in its system, according to the court’s self‑help pages. For the merchants, the lawsuit is a bid to force clearer governance and to restore parking access and security in hopes of bringing customers back…