Section 51066 Of Chapter 4. General Powers From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 31. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 4.
51066
. For housing developments financed by a mortgage loan from
the agency, the agency shall establish a grievance procedure or
require housing sponsors to establish a grievance procedure, or both,
for the purpose of resolving complaints by housing sponsors and
tenants of housing sponsors and contractual disputes between two or
more housing sponsors or between a housing sponsor and a tenant of
the housing sponsor. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no
individual or family shall be evicted from a housing development
unless the following requirements are met:
(a) The eviction is for good cause as defined by rules and
regulations of the agency.
(b) Eviction proceedings shall be commenced by the giving of
notice as required by Section 1946 of the Civil Code or Section 1161
or 1161a of the Code of Civil Procedure and served as provided by
Section 1162 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The notice shall contain
a statement of the cause for eviction and of the right of the tenant
to a hearing and decision pursuant to regulations of the agency if a
request for such a hearing is made to the landlord in writing within
the period specified in Section 1946 of the Civil Code or Section
1161 of the Code of Civil Procedure, as the case may be.
(c) When the tenant so requests the landlord in writing within the
period specified in Section 1946 of the Civil Code or Section 1161
of the Code of Civil Procedure, as the case may be, a hearing, in
accordance with procedures established pursuant to regulations of the
agency, shall be held by an impartial individual or panel selected
or approved by the agency and a decision rendered within two weeks
after receipt by the landlord of the tenant's written request for a
hearing. Good cause for eviction shall be established at the hearing
by the weight of the evidence. Before a right to a hearing vests, the
tenant shall pay rent for the two-week hearing period to the owner
or to an escrow account of the agency, if not already paid.
A defendant in an unlawful detainer proceeding may assert as a
defense the failure of the plaintiff or the agency to comply with the
requirements of this section or regulations adopted pursuant to this
section. A defendant in an unlawful detainer proceeding may assert
as a defense that the findings at the hearing were not supported by
the weight of evidence.
The costs of any hearing conducted pursuant to this section shall
be assessed to, and paid by, the losing party as provided in
regulations of the agency. If neither party prevails, the costs of
the hearing shall be equitably apportioned.
As used in this section, "tenant" includes a resident shareholder
of a cooperative housing development. Nothing in this section shall
be construed as a limitation of the rights of a resident shareholder
of a cooperative housing development.