Kidder Mathews paid $1,000,000 in 2022 to settle a City of San Diego conflict-of-interest lawsuit. Now a $142,275 mechanic's lien is recorded against their client's property — because they failed to require a single lien release from their preferred general contractor.
Kidder Mathews broker Jim Neil was engaged by the San Diego Housing Commission to advise on hotel acquisitions intended as permanent homeless housing — two transactions totaling more than $67 million in public funds. While advising the city, Neil secretly purchased 40,000 shares of Chatham Lodging Trust, the counterparty selling the Mission Valley hotel, before the deal closed. He did not disclose this investment to his client.
Neil also charged commissions that exceeded the contractual cap of $250,000 by more than 100% on both transactions: $592,500 on the Kearny Mesa deal and $502,500 on the Mission Valley deal. The combined overcharge exceeded $600,000.
Kidder Mathews and Neil settled for $1,000,000. Neil was permanently disbarred from San Diego city business. Kidder Mathews accepted a 2-year ban from city contracts. No admission of wrongdoing.
The pattern: A KM representative had an undisclosed relationship with a counterparty. Used their advisory position to benefit that party at the client's expense. The client suffered financial harm. Kidder Mathews paid $1 million. This is the same pattern alleged in the Via Del Campo matter.
In 2023, Kidder Mathews Asset Services (Barbara Putis) and RSI Roofing COO Melanie Bamba Milinkevich co-presented at the BOMA San Diego Women in Construction Week luncheon. This is a documented, public professional relationship between the KM division managing Via Del Campo and RSI Roofing's senior leadership — the same contractor selected for the project.
Additionally, S&W's March 9, 2026 demand letter alleges that approximately three years ago, RSI Roofing used Kidder Mathews' conference room to conduct the termination of their own business partner Jess David Susi. Normal contractors do not terminate their own business partners in their property manager's boardroom. This is not an arms-length relationship.
A fiduciary property manager must disclose material relationships with contractors they recommend to their clients. There is no public record that Kidder Mathews disclosed its relationship with RSI Roofing to the property owner.
RSI Roofing — the general contractor Kidder Mathews selected — has had a pending wage and hour class action for California labor code violations since March 2023. Glassdoor rating: 1.0 out of 5 stars. This litigation was publicly available and searchable before the Via Del Campo contract was awarded. Basic contractor due diligence would have found it.
All from public professional profiles, DRE records, and court filings.
The owner of this property trusted Kidder Mathews to manage it professionally and protect their interests. Kidder Mathews failed them too. They now have a $142,275 mechanic lien on their property through no fault of their own. We have no dispute with the property owner, bear them no ill will, and this site is not directed at them in any way. Our grievance is with Kidder Mathews — the property manager whose failure to follow standard industry practice caused this entire situation.
S&W Roof Tear Off Corp is not the only contractor with an unpaid claim on a Kidder Mathews-managed project.
We have been made aware that other vendors are in a similar situation. Multiple creditors sharing the same story is a pattern — and patterns support collective action. If you performed work on a Kidder Mathews-managed property and were not paid by the general contractor, your account matters. Reach out. There is strength in numbers.
Contact us: (619) 990-3657 · eddie@swrto.com