My question involves personal property located in the State of: California

I live in another county but my motorcycle got damaged by a falling object from the upstair neighbor's window in San Francisco. I spoke to the neighbor and they agreed to pay. Soon after I left that residence but left them polite letters. They ignored them and moved out. I recently sent a payment demand letter and their family lawyer called me and said that they moved out of state, New Jersey I believe, and are traveling at the moment and getting married soon. Lawyer said that it's a courtesy call and that California has no jurisdiction over them. This all happened this year so they were recent residents of California.

Do I have to file small claims in New Jersey where they reside or can I file in San Francisco where the incident occurred, or the county where I live?

If I have to sue in New Jersey can I add the cost of travel and lodging to the claim?

Do I sue both of them or only the person I talked to?

Even though they agreed to pay, the neighbor had mentioned that the window was faulty and caused the object to fall, so should I sue the landlord instead? Do I need to ask the neighbor for help with the faulty window claim?

Thank you for your time and answering my questions.