(a) 
This Chapter provides for administrative remedies, which are in addition to all other legal remedies, criminal or civil, which may be pursued by the City to address any violation specified in Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 1.08.010(c).
(b) 
Use of this Chapter shall be at the sole discretion of the City.
(Added by Ord. No. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02)
"City official"
means the head of any City department or division charged with responsibility for enforcement of any provision of this Code or designee, including, but not limited to, the Fire Marshal, the Building Officer, the Zoning Administrator and the City Engineer.
"Responsible party"
means any person, business, company or entity, and the parent or legal guardian of any person under the age of eighteen years, who has done any act for which an administrative penalty may be imposed.
(Added by Ord. No. No. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02; amended by Ord. No. 2335CCS § 7, adopted 12/14/10)
(a) 
Whenever the City Official determines that a violation of any provision of this Code, or other provisions as set forth in Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 1.08.010(c), within the City Official's responsibility is occurring or exists, the City Official may issue a written compliance order to any person responsible for the violation.
(b) 
A compliance order issued pursuant to this Chapter shall contain the following information:
(1) 
The date, approximate time and location of the violation;
(2) 
The section of this Code violated and a description of the violation;
(3) 
The actions required to correct the violation;
(4) 
The time period after which administrative penalties will begin to accrue if compliance with the order has not been achieved. No administrative penalty shall be imposed for violations of City building, plumbing, electrical or structural codes or provisions of the City Zoning Ordinance unless the responsible party has been provided a reasonable period of time to correct the violation before imposition of the penalty, except in those cases in which there is an immediate danger to health or safety.
(5) 
Either a copy of this Chapter or an explanation of the consequences of noncompliance with this Chapter and a description of the hearing procedure and appeal process to the responsible party.
(c) 
If compliance with an issued compliance order is not achieved within the time period prescribed by the order at issue, the City Official may file and record a Notice of Compliance Order in the Office of the County Recorder to certify that: (1) the subject property is being maintained in violation of the Municipal Code and/or applicable statue, rule, code and regulation; (2) penalties, including liens, special assessments, and/or other penalties, may be imposed; and (3) the property owner has been so notified.
(d) 
Whenever the City Official determines that the Compliance Order has been fully complied with, including correction of all identified violations, payment of all penalties, and satisfaction of all other requirements imposed by the Compliance Order, and if a compliance order has been recorded pursuant to subsection (c), the City Official shall cause the removal of the recordation of the applicable compliance order or file and record a Notice of Satisfaction of Compliance Order certifying that the violation(s) of the Municipal Code at the subject property which caused the issuance of the compliance order has been corrected.
(Added by Ord. No. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02; amended by Ord. No. 2286CCS § 1, adopted 4/7/09)
(a) 
Any required notice shall be given either by personal delivery thereof to the responsible party or by deposit in the United States Mail, in a sealed envelope postage prepaid, addressed to such person to be notified at his or her last known business or residence address as the same appears in the public records or other records pertaining to the matter to which such notice is directed. Service by mail shall be deemed to have been completed at the time of deposit in the post office.
(b) 
Where real property is involved, written notice shall be mailed to the property owner at the address as shown on the last equalized County assessment roll.
(c) 
Where personal service or service by mail upon the property owner is unsuccessful, a copy of the order shall be conspicuously posted at the property which is the subject of the order.
(d) 
If the violation is the result of a condition existing on property in the City and the City may impose a lien or special assessment on the property, any notice from the Hearing Examiner shall also be served on each of the following if known to the City or disclosed from official public records:
(1) 
The holder of any mortgage or deed of trust or lien or encumbrance of record;
(2) 
The owner or holder of any lease of record.
(e) 
The failure of any person to receive any notice required under this Chapter shall not affect the validity of any proceedings taken under this Chapter.
(Added by Ord. No. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02)
The Hearing Examiner shall be the City Manager or designee. The Hearing Examiner shall not have had any prior direct involvement with the matter pending before him or her. If no City staff is capable of conducting the hearing, then the City shall contract with the California Office of Administrative Hearings to conduct the hearing.
(Added by Ord. No. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02; amended by Ord. No. 2365CCS § 7, adopted 7/26/11)
(a) 
If the City Official determines that all violations have been corrected within the time specified in the compliance order, no further action shall be taken.
(b) 
If full compliance is not achieved within the time specified in the compliance order, the City Official shall advise the City Attorney's Office which may, consistent with well established principles of prosecutorial discretion, schedule a hearing before the Hearing Examiner and/or pursue criminal prosecution of the responsible persons and/or parties as authorized by Section 1.08.010.
(c) 
The City Attorney's Office shall cause a written notice of the hearing to be served on the violator and, where real property is involved, a notice of hearing shall be served on the property owner at the address as it appears on the last equalized County assessment roll available on the date the notice is prepared.
(d) 
If full compliance is achieved after service of the written notice of the hearing, the City Attorney's Office may, nonetheless, continue to proceed with the scheduled hearing before the Hearing Examiner in order to seek Administrative Penalties as authorized by Section 1.10.110 and Administrative Costs as authorized by Section 1.10.120.
(Added by Ord. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02; amended by Ord. 2286CCS § 2, adopted 4/7/09)
(a) 
Every notice of hearing on a compliance order shall contain the date, time and place at which the hearing shall be conducted by the Hearing Examiner.
(b) 
Each hearing shall be set for a date not less than five days nor more than thirty days from the date of the notice of hearing unless the City Official determines that the matter is urgent or that good cause exists for an extension of time.
(c) 
This hearing serves to provide the full opportunity of a person subject to a compliance order to object to the determination that a violation has occurred and/or that the violation has continued to exist. The failure of any person subject to a compliance order, pursuant to this Chapter, to appear at the hearing shall constitute a failure to exhaust administrative remedies.
(Added by Ord. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02)
(a) 
At the time set for hearing in the hearing notice, the Hearing Examiner shall proceed to hear sworn testimony and receive evidence regarding the compliance order. The person or persons notified to appear at the hearing, or his or her or their agent(s) or representative(s), shall be given an opportunity to present testimony and any other evidence about whether a violation has occurred and/or that the violation has continued to exist. The Hearing Examiner shall proceed with the hearing whether or not such person(s) is (are) in attendance.
(b) 
The person or persons notified to appear at the hearing and the City may also submit written evidence. This evidence shall be considered by the Hearing Examiner if it is received at least two days prior to the scheduled hearing. The Hearing Examiner shall have the discretion to consider written evidence submitted after that date, including submissions during the course of the hearing.
(c) 
The Hearing Examiner shall be empowered to compel the attendance of owners or responsible parties or witnesses at the hearing, to examine them under oath, and to compel them to produce all evidence before it as provided in Section 2.32.060 of this Code.
(d) 
The hearing proceedings shall be recorded. Additionally, any party may provide a certified shorthand reporter to maintain a record of the proceedings at the party's own expense.
(e) 
Preparation of a record of the proceedings shall be governed by California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1094.6.
(f) 
The Hearing Examiner shall administer the oath or affirmation to all individuals providing testimony.
(g) 
The Hearing Examiner may grant continuances from time to time for good cause shown. The Hearing Examiner may also continue the hearing on his or her own motion.
(h) 
The hearing need not be conducted according to technical rules relating to evidence and witnesses, except as provided in this Section. Any relevant evidence shall be admitted if it is the sort of evidence on which responsible persons are accustomed to rely in the conduct of serious affairs regardless of the existence of any common law or statutory rule which might make improper the admission of the evidence over objections in civil actions. Hearsay evidence may be used for the purpose of supplementing or explaining other evidence but shall not be sufficient in itself to support a finding, unless it would be admissible over objection in civil actions or no objection was made to this use of hearsay evidence prior to the close of the hearing before the Hearing Examiner.
(Added by Ord. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02)
(a) 
At the place and time set forth in the notice of hearing, the Hearing Examiner shall conduct a hearing on the compliance order issued pursuant to Section 1.10.030.
(b) 
The Hearing Examiner shall consider any written or oral evidence, consistent with the rules and procedures established hereto, regarding the violation and compliance by the violator or by the real property owner.
(c) 
Within a reasonable time following the conclusion of the hearing not to exceed thirty days, the Hearing Examiner shall make findings and issue his or her determination regarding:
(1) 
The existence of the violation; and
(2) 
The failure of the violator or owner to take required corrective action within the required time period.
(d) 
The Hearing Examiner shall issue written findings on each violation. The findings shall be supported by evidence received at the hearing.
(e) 
If the Hearing Examiner finds by a preponderance of the evidence that a violation has occurred and that the violation was not corrected within the time period specified in the compliance order, the Hearing Examiner shall issue an administrative order.
(f) 
If the Hearing Examiner finds that no violation has occurred or that the violation was corrected within the time period specified in the compliance order, the Hearing Examiner shall issue a finding of those facts.
(Added by Ord. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02)
If the Hearing Examiner determines that a violation occurred which was not corrected within the time period specified in the compliance order, the Hearing Examiner shall issue an administrative order described in Section 1.10.090 which imposes the following:
(a) 
An order to correct the violation, including a schedule for correction where appropriate.
(b) 
Administrative penalties as authorized by Section 1.10.110.
(c) 
Administrative costs as authorized by Section 1.10.120.
(Added by Ord. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02)
(a) 
The Hearing Examiner may impose administrative penalties for the violation of any provision of this Code in an amount not to exceed a maximum of twenty-five thousand dollars per day for each ongoing violation, except that the total administrative penalty shall not exceed five hundred thousand dollars) exclusive of administrative costs, interest and restitution for compliance reinspection, for any related series of violations.
(b) 
The amount of the administrative penalty shall be set according to the following schedule:
(1) 
Level A violations are violations that present a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm to the public at large or person(s) would result therefrom. Level A violations shall be subject to an administrative penalty of five thousand dollars to twenty-five thousand dollars.
(2) 
Level B violations are violations that either: (A) present the threat, but not substantial probability, that serious physical harm to the public at large or person(s) would result therefrom; or (B) present circumstances that are likely to cause and/or do cause serious harm to public or private property; or (C) present a conscious and willful disregard of: (i) a Hearing Examiner's order or orders, or (ii) orders or notices of violation issued by any agency or commission authorized to issue such orders or notices. Level B violations shall be subject to an administrative penalty of two thousand five hundred dollars to four thousand nine hundred ninety-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents.
(3) 
Level C violations are violations that present circumstances that either: (A) are likely to cause and/or do cause harm to public or private property; or (B) show repeated or continuous noncompliance with: (i) a Hearing Examiner's order or orders, or (ii) orders or notices of violation issued by any agency or commission authorized to issue such orders or notices. Level C violations shall be subject to an administrative penalty of one thousand dollars to two thousand four hundred ninety-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents.
(4) 
Level D violations are violations other than Level A, B or C violations. Level D violations shall be subject to an administrative penalty of one hundred dollars to nine hundred ninety-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents.
(c) 
In determining the actual amount of the administrative penalty within the appropriate level established by subsection (b) of this Section, the Hearing Examiner shall take the following factors into consideration:
(1) 
The duration of the violation;
(2) 
The frequency, recurrence and number of violations, related or unrelated, by the same violator;
(3) 
The seriousness of the violation;
(4) 
The history of the violation;
(5) 
The owner's or any other responsible party's conduct after issuance of the administrative order;
(6) 
The good faith efforts of the violator to come into compliance with the administrative order;
(7) 
The economic impact of the penalty on the violator;
(8) 
The impact of the violation on the community;
(9) 
Such other factors as justice may require.
(d) 
Administrative penalties imposed by the Hearing Examiner shall accrue from the date specified in the compliance order and shall cease to accrue on the date the violation is corrected as determined by the City Official or the Hearing Examiner.
(e) 
The Hearing Examiner, in his or her discretion, may suspend the imposition of applicable penalties for any period of time during which:
(1) 
The violator has filed for necessary permits; and
(2) 
Such permits are required to achieve compliance; and
(3) 
Such permit applications are actively pending before the City, state or other appropriate governmental agency.
(f) 
Administrative penalties assessed by the Hearing Examiner shall be due by the date specified in the administrative order.
(g) 
Administrative penalties assessed by the Hearing Examiner are a debt owed to the City and, in addition to all other means of enforcement, if the violation is located on real property, may be enforced by means of a lien against the real property on which the violation occurred.
(h) 
If the violation is not corrected as specified in the Hearing Examiner's order to correct, administrative penalties shall continue to accrue on a daily basis until the violation is corrected, subject to the maximum amount set forth in Section 1.10.110(a).
(i) 
If the violator gives written notice to the City Official that the violation has been corrected and if the City Official finds that compliance has been achieved, the City Official shall deem the date the written notice was postmarked or personally delivered to the City Official or the date of the final inspection, whichever first occurred, to be the date the violation was corrected. If no written notice is provided to the City Official, the violation will be deemed corrected on the date of the final inspection.
(Added by Ord. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02)
(a) 
The Hearing Examiner shall assess administrative costs against the violator when it finds that a violation has occurred and that compliance has not been achieved within the time specified in the compliance order or any extension granted by the Hearing Examiner.
(b) 
The administrative costs shall include any and all costs incurred by the City in connection with the matter before the Hearing Examiner including, but not limited to, costs of investigation, staffing costs incurred in preparation for the hearing and for the hearing itself, and costs for all reinspections necessary to enforce the compliance order.
(Added by Ord. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02)
Failure to comply with the administrative order of the Hearing Examiner, including failure to pay the assessed administrative penalties and administrative costs specified in the administrative order may be enforced as:
(a) 
A personal obligation of the violator; and/or
(b) 
If the violation is in connection with real property, a lien or special assessment upon the real property. The lien or special assessment shall remain in effect until all of the administrative penalties, interest and administrative costs are paid in full; and/or
(c) 
An infraction which shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding two hundred fifty dollars, or a misdemeanor, which shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars per violation, or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period not exceeding six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment, as authorized by Section 1.08.010.
(Added by Ord. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02; amended by Ord. 2286CCS § 3, adopted 4/7/09)
Any person aggrieved by an administrative order of the Hearing Examiner may obtain review of the administrative order in the Superior Court.
(Added by Ord. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02)
The City may collect the assessed administrative penalties and administrative costs by use of all available legal means, including recordation of a lien pursuant to Section 1.10.180 or imposition of a special assessment pursuant to the procedures established in Section 8.96.190(i).
(Added by Ord. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02; amended by Ord. 2286CCS § 4, adopted 4/7/09)
If the City Official determines that compliance has been achieved after a compliance order has been sustained by the Hearing Examiner, the City Official shall file a report indicating that compliance has been achieved.
(Added by Ord. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02)
(a) 
If the City Official does not file a report pursuant to Section 1.10.160 above, a violator who believes that compliance has been achieved may request a compliance hearing before the Hearing Examiner by filing a request for a hearing with the City Clerk.
(b) 
The hearing shall be noticed and conducted in the same manner as a hearing on a compliance order as set forth in Sections 1.10.070 through 1.10.090 of this Chapter.
(c) 
The Hearing Examiner shall determine if compliance has been achieved and, if so, when it was achieved.
(Added by Ord. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02)
(a) 
Whenever the amount of any administrative penalty and/or administrative cost imposed by the Hearing Examiner pursuant to this Chapter in connection with real property has not been satisfied in full within ninety days and/or has not been successfully challenged by a timely writ of mandate, this obligation may constitute a lien against the real property on which the violation occurred.
(b) 
The lien provided herein shall have no force and effect until recorded with the County Recorder. Once recorded, the administrative order shall have the force and effect and priority of a judgment lien governed by the provisions of Section 697.340 of the California Code of Civil Procedure and may be extended as provided in Sections 683.110 to 683.220, inclusive, of the California Code of Civil Procedure.
(c) 
Interest shall accrue on the principal amount of the judgment remaining unsatisfied pursuant to law.
(d) 
Prior to recording any such lien, the City Official of Finance shall prepare and file with the City Clerk a report stating the amounts due and owing.
(e) 
The City Clerk shall fix a time, date and place for hearing such report and any protests or objections thereto by City Council.
(f) 
The Director of Finance shall cause written notice to be served on the property owner not less than 10 days prior to the time set for the hearing. Such notice shall be served as provided in Section 1.10.04.
(Added by Ord. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02)
(a) 
Any person whose real property is subject to a lien pursuant to Section 1.10.180 may file a written protest with the City Clerk and/or may protest orally at the City Council meeting.
(b) 
Each written protest or objection must contain a description of the property in which the protesting party is interested and the grounds of such protest or objection.
(c) 
The City Council, after the hearing, shall adopt a resolution confirming, discharging or modifying the amount of the lien.
(Added by Ord. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02)
Thirty days following the adoption of a resolution by the City Council imposing a lien pursuant to Section 1.10.190, the City Clerk shall file the same as a judgment lien in the Office of the County Recorder of Los Angeles County, California. The lien may carry such additional administrative charges as set forth by resolution of the City Council.
(Added by Ord. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02)
Once payment in full is received by the City for outstanding penalties and costs, the Director of Finance shall either record a notice of satisfaction or provide the property owner or financial institution with a notice of satisfaction so they may record this notice with the Office of the County Recorder. Such notice of satisfaction shall cancel the City's lien.
(Added by Ord. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02)
As an alternative to the procedures set forth in Sections 1.10.180 through 1.10.200 of this Code, the public hearing before the City Council and the imposition of a lien by the City Council referenced in those sections may be conducted and imposed by the Hearing Examiner.
(Added by Ord. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02)
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dwelling unit or structure who has received a compliance order to sell, transfer, mortgage, lease, or otherwise dispose of it to another until the provisions of the compliance order have been complied with or until such owner shall first furnish the grantee, transferee, mortgagee or lessee, with a true copy of any compliance order and shall furnish to the code official a signed and notarized statement from the grantee, transferee, mortgage, or lessee, acknowledging the receipt of such compliance order and fully accepting the responsibility without condition for making the corrections or repairs required by such compliance order or stating that the grantee, transferee, mortgagee, or lessee intends to timely challenge the citation. The transfer of ownership in violation of this Section shall not abrogate the transfer.
(Added by Ord. 2043CCS § 3, adopted 5/14/02)