Posted on 04/13/2011 11:06:22 AM PDT by SteveH
SANTA CRUZ - A judge Thursday asked Santa Cruz city attorneys to research a new issue raised by a property owner challenging the city's rental inspection ordinance.
The Santa Cruz City Council passed an ordinance in September requiring owners of rental properties to register their units and eventually submit to inspection, and to pay fees for that. The law was written in part due to an agreement with UC Santa Cruz to prevent unsafe housing conditions and control student growth.
Watsonville anti-tax advocate Harold Griffith sued the city days later, claiming the ordinance violates equal protection of law standards by exempting owner-occupied rentals, pre-empts state housing standards, invades privacy and more.
The city denies those charges and says the rules are necessary to target unsafe code violations and residences that violate an ordinance against unruly gatherings.
[...]
Almquist asked city attorneys to file a legal brief outlining their position on Griffith's new argument that the ordinance seeks to abate, or remedy, housing conditions in violation of state housing codes. He argues that the state's Uniform Housing Code, which has been adopted by the city, generally pre-empts local occupancy ordinances.
City Attorney George Kovacevich said the city has not had a chance to formulate a response.
(Excerpt) Read more at santacruzsentinel.com ...
Man challenging Santa Cruz rental inspection program in court (creative financing vs privacy right)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2704179/posts
Communists at work again. More freedom gone!
I think he’ll win because there is not an inspection program for residences occupied by buyers/owners.
Is that something new in CA? Most communities near us have similar regulations, probably as much to collect fees as to insure safe housing.
They’re just ‘fishing’ for the pot farms hidden in commercial rentals .. or sumthin’.
> Most communities near us have similar regulations, probably as much to collect fees as to insure safe housing.
What it does ensure is that more government workers will have to be hired to do the newly created “work.”
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