Whenever in this code or in any other ordinance of the city or in any order, rule or regulation adopted or promulgated by any city officer or agency under authority duly vested in him or it, any act is prohibited or is made or declared to be unlawful or an offense or a misdemeanor, or the doing of any act is required or the failure to do any act is declared to be unlawful or an offense or a misdemeanor, where no specific penalty is provided therefor, the violation of any such provision of this code or any other city ordinance or any such order, rule or regulation shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $1,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Such violations may also be redressed by civil action.
Every day any violation of this code or any other ordinance of the city or any such order, rule or regulation continues constitutes a separate offense.
(Ord. O-2006-06 § 4, 2006)
In order to secure compliance with provisions of this code and to provide flexibility for less drastic methods of enforcement, violations of Titles 20 and 23 of this code may be charged and prosecuted as either misdemeanors or infractions, at the option of the city.
(1) 
Misdemeanor. Any person violating any of the provisions or failing to comply with any of the mandatory requirements of Titles 20 and 23 of this code may be prosecuted for a misdemeanor. Written citations for misdemeanors may be issued by police officers, by the code enforcement officer or designated nonsafety employees who shall be designated by ordinance pursuant to Penal Code, Section 836.5. Any person convicted of a misdemeanor shall be punished as provided in Section 1.08.010.
(2) 
Infraction. Any person violating any of the provisions or failing to comply with any of the mandatory requirements of Titles 20 and 23 of this code may be prosecuted for an infraction. Written citations for infractions may be issued by police officers, by the code enforcement officer or designated nonsafety employees who shall be designated by ordinance pursuant to Penal Code, Section 836.5. Any person convicted of an infraction under the provision of this code shall be punished as follows:
(A) 
A fine not exceeding $100 for a first violation;
(B) 
A fine not exceeding $200 for a second violation of the same ordinance within one year;
(C) 
A fine not exceeding $500 for each additional violation of the same ordinance within one year.
(Ord. 88-O-104 § 1, 1988)
Pursuant to the provisions of Government Code Section 36900 and Penal Code Section 836.5, citations for infractions and for misdemeanor violations of any of the provisions of this code may be issued by police officers of the city or by the code enforcement officer.
(Ord. 88-O-104 § 1, 1988)
(a) 
Any violation of the Placentia Municipal Code is a public nuisance.
(b) 
The city administrator and all other code enforcement officials or officers of the city have the authority and powers necessary to abate public nuisances and gain compliance with the provisions of this code and applicable state codes. These powers include but are not limited to the power to enter and inspect public and private property and the authority to use whatever judicial and administrative remedies are available under this code and any applicable state codes, including the issuance of administrative citations pursuant to Chapter 1.10 of this title.
(c) 
Pursuant to California Government Code Section 38773, the city has authority to judicially abate public nuisances by filing criminal or civil actions. The city also has the authority under state law to make the expense of abatement of the nuisance a special assessment, or a lien against the property on which it is maintained and a personal obligation against the property owner, in accordance with California Government Code Section 38773.1 or 38773.5. Pursuant to California Government Code Section 38773.7, upon entry of a second or subsequent civil or criminal judgment within a two year period for abatement of a public nuisance finding the owner, minor or other person responsible for a condition that may be abated, except for conditions abated pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Section 17980, the court may order that person to pay treble the costs of abatement. "Minor or other person" shall be defined as set forth in California Government Code Section 38772(d)(3).
(d) 
There shall be no civil liability on the part of and no cause of action shall arise against any enforcement officer acting pursuant to this chapter and within the scope of his or her authority for false arrest or false imprisonment arising out of any arrest which is lawful or which the enforcement officer at the time of such arrest had reasonable cause to believe was lawful. An enforcement officer shall not be deemed an aggressor or lose his or her right to self-defense by the use of reasonable force to effect the arrest or to prevent escape or to overcome resistance.
(Ord. O-2008-11 § 1, 2008)
In addition to all other remedies, the city attorney on behalf of the city may bring a civil action to enforce the provisions of this code, in which a court may impose the following remedies:
(1) 
An injunction or any other appropriate equitable remedy;
(2) 
Civil penalties in an amount not to exceed $500 per violation for each day, payable to the city, against any person who commits, continues, operates, allows or maintains any violation of any provision of this code;
(3) 
Reimbursement of city administrative and abatement costs, including but not limited to investigative costs incurred in the enforcement of the provisions of this code; and
(4) 
Award of attorneys' fees, where the city has elected at the initiation of the action to seek the recovery of such fees, in which case the prevailing party in such action shall be entitled to an award of attorneys' fees in an amount which shall not exceed the reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the city.
(Ord. O-2008-11 § 2, 2008)
Upon a finding by a city official vested with authority to enforce the provisions of this code that a violation exists, such official may issue an administrative citation in accordance with Chapter 1.10.
(Ord. O-2008-11 § 3, 2008)