A woman searching for a family home in San Francisco was stunned to discover that the rental had been linked to a horrific murder.
At first glance, the Outer Sunset property appeared to offer plenty for its $6,300 monthly rent: three bedrooms, abundant natural light, a garage and a backyard.
But behind the ordinary-looking listing is a deeply disturbing history.
Philippe Chagniot, a 68-year-old retired dentist, has been charged with killing 58-year-old Eric Bigone outside the home on May 17.
Prosecutors allege that Chagniot started a fire on top of Bigone’s car. When Bigone went outside to see what was happening, Chagniot allegedly shot him twice in the back with a suppressed MAC-10 submachine gun.
The San Francisco house remains connected to the Chagniot 2007 Family Trust, which lists Philippe Chagniot and his wife, Barbara, among its beneficiaries.
In a wrongful death lawsuit, Bigone’s son, Dino, claims Chagniot killed his father in an effort to prepare the property for sale. A San Francisco judge has blocked the sale while the case proceeds.
The property can apparently still be offered to renters.
According to Homes.com, the home was first listed for rent on August 22 at $8,000 a month. After apparently failing to attract tenants, the asking price was cut this month to $6,300.
The Outer Sunset rental appears almost too good to pass up, but prospective tenants are turning away after uncovering the home’s grim history
Philippe Chagniot, a 68-year-old retired dentist, has been charged with killing 58-year-old Eric Bigone, who was shot outside the home at 2518 46th Ave. on May 17.
Prosecutors allege that Chagniot set a fire on top of Bigone’s car. When Bigone went outside to investigate, Chagniot allegedly shot him twice from behind with a suppressed MAC-10 submachine gun
Broker Renee Engelen confirmed to the San Francisco Standard that she is working with the Chagniots to lease the unsettling property.
Engelen said state law requires her to disclose crimes that occurred on a property within the previous two years. However, she noted that Bigone was shot on the sidewalk rather than on the property itself.
She said the lease does inform prospective tenants about the alleged killing, but declined to provide a copy, saying it contains privileged information. Engelen also would not say whether Barbara Chagniot or someone acting on behalf of the couple hired her.
One prospective tenant learned about the home’s violent past almost by chance.
After touring the property, the woman noticed that it was owned by a family trust and grew suspicious. A quick internet search led her to reports about Bigone’s killing.
When she questioned an elusive employee at the brokerage about the shooting, the woman said she was told, with apparent nonchalance, that the house had “a bit of history.”
The woman, who asked not to be named because she did not want negative attention directed at her business, said she may have overlooked the disclosure while reviewing the lease.
“I wasn’t looking for whether someone had been killed in the lease,” she said.
What troubled her more was the possibility that her rent could ultimately benefit the family of the man accused of killing the previous tenant.
Yet despite the killing – and an ongoing wrongful death lawsuit – the property is now being offered to a new tenant.
‘My money would presumably be benefiting this family,’ she said.
For neighbors, the idea of turning the house into a rental is difficult to separate from what took place there.
Bridgett, who has lived on the same street since 2017 and declined to give her last name because of privacy concerns, called Bigone ‘a great neighbor.’
She said his killing had ‘terrorized’ the neighborhood and was furious when she learned the house was being offered for rent.
‘That’s such bulls***,’ she said. ‘I’m upset, sick.’
If someone moves in, Bridgett said, she and other neighbors plan to knock on the door and tell the new tenants themselves about Bigone’s killing. ‘That house shouldn’t be rented,’ she said firmly.
Across the street, 78-year-old Gabriella Smith has lived since 2011. When The Standard told her the asking rent, her jaw dropped. She said workers had been coming and going from the property about two weeks earlier.
But renovations and a fresh coat of polish can only do so much to change a home’s history. Heeding a word of warning, Smith said, ‘I’d be careful renting from someone like that.’
For the prospective tenant who nearly signed a lease, the experience has been enough to put her enticing house hunt on hold. Shaken by how close she came to renting from a potential murderer, she and her fiancé are content to remain in their Outer Richmond home for now.
Our News Outlet has reached out to Renee Engelen for comment.
