SANTA ANA, CA (October 7, 2014) - The City of Santa Ana is using the California Health and Safety Code Receivership option to successfully resolve issues with distressed properties including difficult code enforcement matters affecting both commercial and residential areas. A health and safety receivership is a legal process through which the ownership of the property is temporarily placed with a court-appointed receiver responsible for resolving property related issues.
“Under the receivership program, abandoned, rundown properties that have fallen into disrepair and have attracted criminal activity will be rehabilitated,” said Councilman and Public Safety Committee Chair David Benavides. “Receiverships can also be used in emergency situations where a building or property presents an immediate threat to health and safety.”
“This program illustrates the City’s commitment to meeting the needs of the community and actively protecting residents and tenants from dangerous conditions created by absentee property owners,” said Councilman Vincent Sarmiento.
Receiverships provide an opportunity to eliminate blight conditions and continually substandard properties.
“The City actively seeks out new tools and creative methods, such as the use of receivership, in order to address the most serious code enforcement cases and keep our neighborhoods safe and healthy. This tool has been used very successfully in other communities to abate properties that are in serious disrepair and that are causing substantial blight,” said Karen Haluza, the City of Santa Ana’s Interim Director of Planning and Building.
"We hope this tool will curb blight and be a wake-up call for owners who have been reluctant to repair their blighted properties," added Councilwoman Michele Martinez.
Receivership laws provide for the full recovery of legal fees and staff costs if the court grants the request for receivership and in the last few successful matters the City has fully recovered these costs. Following these successes, the City of Santa Ana will seek council approval to file for receivership actions on two properties which are located at 1221 N. Harbor Boulevard and 335 E. Adams Street.
