(a) In the event any person commences work for which a permit is required by this Building Code or by any technical code adopted by ordinance without first securing such permit, the charge otherwise established for that permit in accordance with Section 1311.06 shall be increased by one hundred percent (100%).
(b) In the event any person completes work for which a permit is required by this Building Code or by any technical code adopted by ordinance without first securing such permit, the charge otherwise established for that permit in accordance with Section 1311.06 shall be increased by two hundred percent (200%).
(c) In the event any person undertakes work for which a permit is required by this Building Code or by any technical code adopted by ordinance and conceals such work in a manner that impedes the proper inspection thereof, the charge otherwise established in accordance with Section 1311.06 for the permit pursuant to which the work is undertaken shall be increased by a surcharge of fifty dollars ($50.00). In the event uncovering the work or other extraordinary measures required to verify Building Code compliance require the presence of an inspector at the site of the construction for more than thirty minutes, the surcharge imposed by this subsection shall be increased by twenty-five dollars ($25.00) for each additional quarter hour the inspector remains at the construction site.
(d) The imposition of a permit fee surcharge pursuant to this section is to off-set the increased administrative and inspection costs customarily incurred because of the untimely filing of an application for a building permit or concealment of permitted work prior to inspection and does not constitute a civil forfeiture or criminal penalty. The collection of such surcharge shall not affect the validity of any criminal prosecution predicated on the unlawful performance of work without a valid permit nor any administrative proceeding commenced to revoke the registration of a contractor. (Ord. 6838. Passed 8-7-07.)