The owners of four condos in a San Francisco building have not been able to live there, since a big chunk of the hillside below slid seven months ago.

They were about to take a major step to fixing the problems at the site on Vallejo Street. But there was another snag today; one that had a surprise ending.

If David Berger could stay in his condo, he would literally be 'living on the edge.' The rockslide took a big chunk out of the hill beneath his unit at 455 Vallejo Street.

Anybody I think who took a look at it would say that's a real risk and an emergency.

His was one of four condominiums atop the precautious hanging concrete deck, until it was removed. Seven months later, the four units are still red-tagged and the owners can't move in.

The city's Building Dept. told the various landlords of the privately owned hill they need to retrofit its face with netting and bolts to prevent more slides.

And the rainy season is fast approaching.

"We'd like to be ahead of the wet season and given our earthquake situation here the sooner people act, the better," said Bill Strawn from the San Francisco Department of Building Inspections.

We reported last night that 455 Vallejo's Homeowners Association is the only property owner to obtain permits to begin work. They were ready to position a huge crane near their entrance on Vallejo Street this week.

It will carry the bolts, the drill rig and a man.

But late Monday, the homeowners were told by the Dept. of Parking and Traffic that they would need permission from those who live nearby on Vallejo and Montgomery streets.

"What we need to insure is that all of residents who live there, not just the people in the affected building but everyone else knows what's going on," said Maggie Lynch from San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Administration.

Berger says the Parking and Traffic Dept. told the homeowners association the process could take some time but that it's no longer an emergency.

But to the residents at 455 Vallejo Street who look down the hill every day, it is an emergency.

We are red tagged by the city law, as I understand it, that's an emergency.

ABC7 showed up at a meeting on Tuesday afternoon between representatives of various city agencies and contractors hired by 455 Vallejo. Later that day, we got phone calls and an e-mail from residents who attended that meeting.

The e-mail says: "We got the permits and permissions, your camera helped!"

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Copyright 2007, ABC7/KGO-TV/DT.