Advertisement

Landlord takes first step toward evicting Bitwise from downtown Fresno buildings

The owners of three downtown Fresno Bitwise Industries buildings are taking steps to regain control of their properties.

On late Friday afternoon, legal “notices of belief of abandonment” signs were posted on the exterior of the Bitwise 41, Bitwise South Stadium and Bitwise Hive buildings.

A representative of the building owners, Baltara Enterprises L.P., confirmed in a phone call with The Bee Friday afternoon that the measure was necessary to “retake legal possession of the properties Baltara owns and leases to Bitwise.”

“The rent on this property has been due and unpaid for over sixty two consecutive days and the landlord believes you have abandoned the property,” reads the notices on all three buildings.

The notices are the first step toward evicting Bitwise from the building, the representative confirmed.

The move comes five days after Bitwise Industries announced it was furloughing its entire workforce due to “unexpected” financial issues.

What followed was a week of confusion for staff, lawsuits, and calls to cancel city contracts.

Legal “notices of belief of abandonment” signs were posted on the exterior of the Bitwise 41, Bitwise South Stadium, and Bitwise Hive buildings on Friday, June 2, 2023.
Legal “notices of belief of abandonment” signs were posted on the exterior of the Bitwise 41, Bitwise South Stadium, and Bitwise Hive buildings on Friday, June 2, 2023.

Originally founded in 2013, Bitwise Industries offers technological training programs, technology services, and serves as a landlord to tenants in its various locations in Fresno and other cities.

But the company doesn’t own its Fresno buildings. The buildings are owned by Fresno-based real estate firm Baltara Enterprises L.P., which leases the buildings to Bitwise.

But that could soon change.

According to California Civil Code, commercial property shall be deemed abandoned by the lessee and the lease shall terminate if the lessor gives written notice of belief of abandonment.

The notices placed on the doors of the downtown buildings say that the leases with Bitwise Industries will be terminated in about two weeks, on June 17, unless the owners receive written notice from Bitwise that they do not intend to abandon the property or if they provide an address where they can be served by certified mail for any action for unlawful detainer of the property.

The company would also be required to pay unpaid rent. “Failure to do so will lead to court proceedings against you,” the notice says.

Existing Bitwise sub-tenants and co-working space users, however, don’t need to worry.

“These notices only affect its relationship with Bitwise,” the Baltara representative said. “Sub tenants are unaffected and invited to stay in the building.”

Bitwise co-CEO Jake Soberal could not be immediately reached for comment on Friday evening.

Bitwise tenants say there’s no maintenance

In a visit to the Bitwise 41 building on Friday afternoon, The Bee spoke with three different coworking space sub-tenants who said they were surprised by the announcement of the company’s sudden furloughs, but said they still had access to the building.

Jesus Avila, a financial advisor, said he was still able to purchase a day pass to the coworking space and was using a downstairs conference room for client calls.

Meanwhile, Rosa Medina, who was also using the coworking space Friday afternoon, said she’s been able to come in “as normal” this week.

But, she said, there’s been “no janitorial services, no stocking of the toilet paper, the paper towels.”

Medina said gnats were starting to hover around heaps of garbage that are piling up in trash cans in the coworking space. She also noticed there have been “a lot less tenants” in the space in the last few days.

Trash piles up in the Bitwise 41 coworking space on the afternoon of Friday, June 2. Tenants in the coworking space say there have been no janitorial services in the building since news that Bitwise Industries was furloughing its entire staff.
Trash piles up in the Bitwise 41 coworking space on the afternoon of Friday, June 2. Tenants in the coworking space say there have been no janitorial services in the building since news that Bitwise Industries was furloughing its entire staff.

Still, she said, “the internet works, the air’s on, you can get in and out — and parking is better.”