Section 17061.9 Of Chapter 6. Violations From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 13. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 6.
17061.9
. (a) In addition to other remedies provided in this part,
the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development
or his or her designee or an employee authorized by a local
enforcement agency which has assumed jurisdiction pursuant to Section
17050, may issue a citation which assesses a civil penalty to any
owner or operator, or both, of employee housing violating this part,
or regulations promulgated hereunder, if the owner or operator, or
both, has permitted the continuation of a violation for at least 30
days after issuance of an order to correct the violation or
violations from the enforcement agency. Each citation and related
civil penalty assessment shall be issued no later than seven months
after issuance of the order to correct which is the basis of the
citation. The civil penalties provided for in this section are not in
addition to the penalties established in subdivision (b) of Section
17037.
(b) The amount of any civil penalty assessed pursuant to
subdivision (a) shall not exceed three hundred dollars ($300) for
each violation. The civil penalties assessed pursuant to this section
shall be payable to the enforcement agency, notwithstanding any
other provision of law. Whether or not the violation or violations,
if applicable, giving cause for the citation are corrected, payment
of the civil penalty shall be remitted to the enforcement agency
within 45 days of the issuance of the citation.
(c) The amount of the civil penalty shall be increased to an
amount not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500) for a violation if
all the following circumstances exist:
(1) The citation is for a second or subsequent violation of this
part, or the regulations promulgated hereunder, for which an order to
correct was issued within one year prior to issuance of the new
citation; and
(2) The original violation has continued to exist for at least six
months from the date the order to correct the violation was issued
or has recurred within six months from the date the order to correct
the violation was issued.
(d) Any person or entity served a citation pursuant to this
section may petition the director or his or her designee or the
officially authorized representative of the local enforcement agency,
where applicable. The petition shall be a written request briefly
stating the grounds of the request. Any petition to be considered,
shall be received by the department or the local enforcement agency
within 30 days of the date of issuance of the citation.
(e) Upon receipt of a timely and complying petition, the
enforcement agency shall suspend enforcement of the citation and set
a time and place for the informal hearing and shall give the
recipient of the citation written notice thereof. The hearing shall
commence no later than 30 days following receipt of the petition or
at another time scheduled by the enforcement agency pursuant to a
request by the petitioner or the enforcement agency if the
enforcement agency determines that good and sufficient cause exists.
If the petitioner fails to appear at the time and place scheduled for
the hearing, the enforcement agency may notify the petitioner in
writing that the petition is dismissed and that compliance with the
terms of the citation shall occur within 10 days after receipt of the
notification.
(f) The enforcement agency shall notify the petitioner in writing
of its decision and the reasons therefor within 30 days following
conclusion of the informal hearing held pursuant to this section. If
the decision upholds the citation, in whole or in part, the
petitioner shall comply with the citation in accordance with the
decision within 30 days after the decision is mailed by the
enforcement agency.