In many parts of the Bay Area, property turnover happens frequently and records don’t always survive. In San Francisco specifically, it’s common to see:
- Older buildings and long-term landscaping contracts where the “who applied what” isn’t recorded in a homeowner’s files.
- Shared outdoor spaces (courtyards, rooftop gardens, building perimeters) where multiple people may have been affected.
- Sidewalks, medians, and transit-adjacent maintenance where herbicides may have been used as part of broader weed-control programs.
- Secondhand exposure scenarios—family members who didn’t apply products but were present near treated areas.
That doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. It does mean your early strategy should focus on building a credible exposure narrative from whatever documentation you can still access.


