Chapter 12.5. County Fees of California Government Code >> Division 2. >> Title 5. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 12.5.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law that prescribes an amount or otherwise limits the amount of a fee or charge that may be levied by a county, a county service area, or a county waterworks district governed by a county board of supervisors, a county board of supervisors shall have the authority to increase or decrease the fee or charge, that is otherwise authorized to be levied by another provision of law, in the amount reasonably necessary to recover the cost of providing any product or service or the cost of enforcing any regulation for which the fee or charge is levied. The fee or charge may reflect the average cost of providing any product or service or enforcing any regulation. Indirect costs that may be reflected in the cost of providing any product or service or the cost of enforcing any regulation shall be limited to those items that are included in the federal Office of Management and Budget Circular A-87 on January 1, 1984.
  (b) If any person disputes whether a fee or charge levied pursuant to subdivision (a) is reasonable, the board of supervisors may request the county auditor to conduct a study and to determine whether the fee or charge is reasonable. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to mean that the county shall not continue to be subject to fee review procedures required by Article XIII B of the California Constitution.
  (c) This chapter shall not apply to any of the following:
  (1) Any fee charged or collected by a court clerk pursuant to Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 116.110) of Title 1 of Part 1 of the Code of Civil Procedure, Title 8 (commencing with Section 68070) of the Government Code, or Section 103470 of the Health and Safety Code, or any other fee or charge that may be assessed, charged, collected, or levied pursuant to law for filing judicial documents or for other judicial functions.
  (2) Any fees charged or collected pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 6100) of Division 7 of Title 1.
  (3) Any standby or availability assessment or charge.
  (4) Any fee charged or collected by a county agricultural commissioner.
  (5) Any fee charged or collected pursuant to Article 2.1 (commencing with Section 12240) of Chapter 2 of Division 5 of the Business and Professions Code.
  (6) Any fee charged or collected by a county recorder or local registrar for filing, recording, or indexing any document, performing any service, issuing any certificate, or providing a copy of any document pursuant to Section 27361, 27361.1, 27361.3, 27361.4, 27364, 27365, or 27366 of the Government Code, Section 103625 of the Health and Safety Code, or Section 9525 of the Commercial Code.
  (7) Any fee charged or collected pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 26720) of Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 2 of Title 3 of the Government Code.

(a) Prior to either approving an increase in an existing fee or charge or initially imposing a new fee or charge pursuant to Section 54985, the board of supervisors shall hold at least one public meeting, at which oral or written presentations may be made, as part of a regularly scheduled meeting. Notice of the time and place of the meeting, including a general explanation of the matter to be considered, and a statement that the data required by this section is available, shall be mailed at least 14 days prior to the meeting to any interested party who files a written request with the clerk of the board of supervisors for mailed notice of the meeting on new or increased fees or charges. Any written request for such mailed notices shall be valid for one year from the date on which it is filed unless a renewal request is filed. Renewal requests for such mailed notices shall be filed on or before April 1st of each year. The board of supervisors may establish a reasonable annual charge for sending those notices based on the estimated cost of providing that service. At least 10 days prior to the meeting, the board of supervisors shall make available to the public data indicating the amount of cost, or estimated cost, required to provide the product or service or the cost of enforcing any regulation for which the fee or charge is levied and the revenue sources anticipated to provide the product or service or the cost of enforcing any regulation, including general fund revenues.
  (b) Any action by a board of supervisors to levy a new fee or charge or to approve an increase in an existing fee or charge pursuant to Section 54985 shall be taken only by ordinance.
  (c) Any costs incurred by a county, a county service area, or county waterworks district governed by a county board of supervisors in conducting the meeting or meetings required pursuant to subdivision (a) may be recovered from fees charged for the product or service or the cost of enforcing any regulation which were the subject of the meeting.

(a) This chapter shall not be construed as granting any additional authority to levy any fee or charge which is not otherwise authorized by another provision of law nor shall its provisions be construed as granting authority to levy a new fee or charge when other provisions of law specifically prohibit the levy of a fee or charge.
  (b) This chapter shall not be construed as requiring counties, county service areas, or county waterworks districts governed by a county board of supervisors to review or revise any fee or charge which is in effect January 1, 1984.

(a) (1) In addition to any other remedy provided by law, including the current powers of charter cities, the legislative body of a city, county, or city and county may collect any fee, cost, or charge incurred in any of the following:
  (A) The abatement of public nuisances.
  (B) The correction of any violation of any law, regulation, or local ordinance that would also be a violation of Section 1941.1 of the Civil Code.
  (C) The enforcement of zoning ordinances adopted pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 65800) of Division 1 of Title 7 or any other constitutional or statutory authority.
  (D) Inspections and abatement of violations of Article 1 (commencing with Section 13100) of Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Division 12 of the Health and Safety Code and regulations or ordinances adopted pursuant to that article.
  (E) Inspections and abatement of violations of the State Housing Law (Part 1.5 (commencing with Section 17910) of Division 13 of the Health and Safety Code) and regulations or ordinances adopted pursuant to that part.
  (F) Inspections and abatement of violations of the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations).
  (G) Inspections and abatement related to local ordinances and regulations that implement any of the foregoing. If the fee, cost, or charge has not been paid within 45 days of notice thereof, the city, county, or city and county may collect the fee, cost, or charge by making the amount of the unpaid fee, cost, or charge a proposed lien against the property that is the subject of the enforcement activity. Except as provided in subdivision (c), the amount of the proposed lien may be collected at the same time and in the same manner as property taxes are collected. All laws applicable to the levy, collection, and enforcement of ad valorem taxes shall be applicable to the proposed lien, except that if any real property to which the lien would attach has been transferred or conveyed to a bona fide purchaser for value, or if a lien of a bona fide encumbrancer for value has been created and attaches thereon, prior to the date on which the first installment of taxes would become delinquent, then the lien that would otherwise be imposed by this section shall not attach to real property and the costs of enforcement relating to the property shall be transferred to the unsecured roll for collection.
  (2) The amount of any fee, cost, or charge shall not exceed the actual cost incurred performing the inspections and enforcement activity, including permit fees, fines, late charges, and interest.
  (3) This section shall not apply to owner-occupied residential dwelling units.
  (4) This section does not apply to any enforcement, abatement, correction, or inspection activity regarding a violation in which the violation was evident on the plans that received a building permit.
  (b) (1) A city, county, or city and county shall provide the owner of the property with written notice in plain language of the proposed lien, a description of the basis for the amounts comprising the lien, a minimum of 45 days after notice to pay the fee, cost, or charge, and an opportunity to appear before the legislative body and be heard regarding the amount of the proposed lien. The notice shall be mailed by certified mail to the last known address of the owner of the property.
  (2) In any city, county, or city and county, the legislative body may delegate the holding of the hearing required by paragraph (1) to a hearing board designated by the legislative body. The hearing board may be the housing appeals board established pursuant to Section 17920.5 of the Health and Safety Code or any other body designated by the legislative body. The hearing board shall make a written recommendation to the legislative body which shall include factual findings based on evidence introduced at the hearing. The legislative body may adopt the recommendation without further notice of hearing, or may set the matter for a de novo hearing before the legislative body. Notice in writing of the de novo hearing shall be provided to the property owner at least 10 days in advance of the scheduled hearing.
  (c) If the legislative body determines that the proposed lien authorized pursuant to subdivision (a) shall become a lien, the body may also cause a notice of lien to be recorded. This lien shall attach upon recordation in the office of the county recorder of the county in which the property is situated and shall have the same force, priority, and effect as a judgment lien, not a tax lien. The notice shall, at a minimum, identify the record owner or possessor of the property, set forth the last known address of the record owner or possessor, set forth the date upon which the lien was created against the property, and include a description of the real property subject to the lien and the amount of the lien.