Legal battles continue over the Zaaki eyesore
The tenants of the derelict building in Bailey’s Crossroads that formerly housed the Zaaki Restaurant have refused to fix up or vacate the property for years, despite court orders to do so.
An eviction hearing is scheduled for Sept. 2 at the Fairfax County General District Court.
The defendants, listed in court records as Khalid El Tayeb and Zaaki Restaurant and Café LLC, haven’t paid rent since 2023, says attorney Gifford Hampshire, who represents the property owners, Aaron and Mary Samson.
The Samsons are suing El Tayeb for back rent and want him to vacate the building. “The tenant is fighting tooth and nail against eviction,” said Hampshire, of the Blankingship and Keith law firm, so the Samsons “are refiling under other grounds to try to gain control of the property.”
The building, at 6020 Leesburg Pike, still has a sign identifying the property as the Zaaki Restaurant & Café, although it’s been vacant for years. The unlocked building is full of junk. There are tools and various items strewn over the patio and grounds. There’s an unlocked shed at the rear that appears to be someone’s living quarters.
Related story: Judge orders Zaaki to comply with the building code, or face demolition
Fairfax County has cited multiple violations against the Zaaki Restaurant since 2012, including an unauthorized addition and failure to obtain building permits, a certificate of occupancy, and inspections.
In 2019, Fairfax County Land Development Services found Zaaki in violation of the Virginia Construction Code for installing an enclosed addition and making other improvements without the required permits or inspections.
The State Building Code Technical Review Board in 2020 upheld the decision of a local appeals board to revoke the certificate of occupancy.
In 2023, a judge at the Fairfax County Circuit Court found Zaaki and the Samsons in violation of the Zoning Ordinance and ordered them to submit an acceptable site plan. Throughout these court proceedings, Zaaki filed numerous appeals and at one point was found to be in contempt of court. Meanwhile, the property continues to be an eyesore.
Both the attorney for Zaaki and a representative of the Fairfax County Attorney’s Office declined to comment.
Should be torn down so something nice can take its place. Feel so sorry for the owners.
Zaaki is just playing the County and belatedly the Samsons. The property should have been demolished in 2012, enough of the delays!
The tenant who turn this property into a hookah lounge turned out to be slime ball… I’m shocked…
Tenant right to due process grossly abused is what this situation is. Landlord has not been paid, denied use of property, and still has to pay property taxes. While this situation is an extreme one on tenant abuse, and I’m sure that we can find some by landlords, you cannot legislate solutions without market realities factored in. – be it commercial or residential properties.
The tenants seem to have no interest in running a business there, so why are they fighting eviction? Just get out and let the owners do whatever they want with that dump.