Harry Nguyen knew something was wrong at Pho Ha Noi when fewer customers began visiting his San Jose restaurant tucked within the Vietnam Town shopping center. Pho Ha Noi had always been a sought-after eatery known for its fragrant bowls of pho, but when sales dramatically fell at the beginning of the year, Nguyen started searching for answers within the plaza.  

Vietnam Town is a popular Bay Area destination for its selection of Vietnamese restaurants and cafes, but Nguyen attributes a $500,000 year-to-year revenue loss to neglect by the property owners. Last month, Nguyen and other business owners at Vietnam Town filed a complaint in Santa Clara County Superior Court against property owner Vietnam Town Property LLC and the plaza management board, Vietnam Town Condominium Owners Association. The lawsuit alleges that the property owner and the management board, among others listed, had a breach of fiduciary duty by misusing Vietnam Town member fees “without the consent” rather than using the funds for structural repairs at Vietnam Town. Nguyen said that Vietnam Town tenants pay monthly homeowners association fees that range from about $400 to $500, depending on the square footage of a space, with each space considered a condo unit at the plaza.

Jason Tran and Harry Nguyen in Vietnam Town in San Jose, Calif., Dec. 23, 2025.

Harry Nguyen and Jason Tran show the empty parking garage in Vietnam Town in San Jose, Calif., Dec. 23, 2025.

The parking garage in Vietnam Town in San Jose, Calif., Dec. 23, 2025.

Among the complaints business owners have at Vietnam Town is that the 550-space parking garage closed following a 2023 inspection. The inspection found its elevators were defective. Parking limitations were already an issue at Vietnam Town, which has 256 commercial condo spaces, and that was further impacted when a Tesla supercharging station opened and snagged an additional 20 spaces. (The parking issue was first reported by the San Jose Spotlight.) Equipment from an ongoing construction project has likewise reduced parking spots. Roman Corona, a project manager at ACT Construction, told SFGATE that the project has been delayed due to weather and additional repairs but is expected to be completed by January or........

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