1.40.070 Payment and collection of fines, fees and other charges.
(1) Payment. All administrative fines and reinspection fees imposed by means of a citation shall be due from the citee and shall be received by the city (or agent thereof) within 20 calendar days from the date the citation was served. Thereafter, a late charge shall be due and owing, as well as interest, as imposed by this chapter.
(a) Administrative fines, reinspection fees, late charges, and any interest due shall be paid to the city at such location or address as stated in the citation, or as may otherwise be designated by the city manager.
(b) Payment of an administrative fine shall not excuse or discharge a citee from the duty to immediately abate a violation of the code, nor from any other responsibility or legal consequences for a continuation or repeated occurrence(s) of a violation of the code.
(c) Abatement of a violation shall not excuse the obligation of a citee to pay an administrative fine or any other charges, fees, or costs imposed as a result of the issuance of a citation.
(2) Collection. Unpaid administrative fines and other charges, fees, or costs imposed in accordance with this chapter shall constitute a debt that may be collected in any manner allowed by law, including, but not limited to: (a) the filing of a civil action in the Los Angeles Superior Court; and/or, (b) the recordation of a lien with the Los Angeles County recorder’s office against citee-owned property that was the subject of the citation; and/or, (c) by means of a special assessment against citee-owned property that was the subject of the citation; and/or, (d) by means of collecting the debt using the California Franchise Tax Board “Inter-Agency Offset Program” (pursuant to Section 12419.10 of the California Government Code); and/or, (e) by denying the issuance or renewal of any city approval, license, permit, or other entitlement to any citee who has failed to tender all unpaid administrative fines, late payment charges, interest charges, or reinspection fees. The city shall also be entitled to recover its attorneys’ fees and costs arising from an action to collect an administrative fine and other charges, fees, or costs imposed in accordance with this chapter, if it is the prevailing party and provided it made the election to seek attorney fees at the commencement of the action. A citee shall be entitled to recover his or her attorney fees if the city made the election to seek attorney fees at the outset of the action and the citee prevails thereon.
(a) The city manager, or a designee thereof, may promulgate policies and procedures for the city’s election to use one or more of the foregoing collection remedies. Unless otherwise set forth in a policy promulgated by the city manager, the recordation of a lien or special assessment for unpaid administrative fines, late charges, interest charges, or reinspection fees shall substantially comply with the procedures set forth in Chapter 8.16 CMC (Public Nuisances) for the recordation of liens and special assessments for abatement costs. (Ord. 660 § 1, 2016).