(Added by Ord. No. 175,890, Eff. 5/12/04.)
The Department shall collect a non-refundable administrative fee of $50.00 per residential unit accepted into REAP per month. Upon acceptance into REAP, owners shall be notified of the information contained in this Section.
A. REAP Administrative Fees: For each individual rent payment made into the escrow account, the administrative fee of $50.00 per unit per month shall be collected from the escrow account in accordance with Section 162.07 B.1. For units in which the tenant has not made individual rent payments into the escrow account, the administrative fee of $50.00 per unit shall be billed to the property owner/landlord by the Department. If administrative fees are unpaid, they may be collected from the escrow account. (Amended by Ord. No. 184,446, Eff. 9/26/16.)
B. Collection of Fees: For units in which the $50.00 administrative fee has not been paid, the fee may be collected from the escrow account in accordance with Section 162.08 D. (Amended by Ord. No. 184,446, Eff. 9/26/16.)
C. Collection Remedies: All fees and costs incurred pursuant to Section 162.12 shall be a personal obligation against the property owner/landlord that owned the property on the date that City Council removes the property from REAP, recoverable by the City in an action before any court of competent jurisdiction. In addition to the personal obligation and all other remedies provided by law, the City may collect any judgment, fee cost, penalty, or charge, including any permit fees, fines, late charges, or interest, incurred in relation to the provisions of this Section 162.12 as provided in Los Angeles Administrative Code Sections 7.35.1 through 7.35.8. (Amended by Ord. No. 184,446, Eff. 9/26/16.)
D. Delinquent Fees and Late Fines: Fees are due per unit, for each month, including partial months, that the unit remains in REAP and is inhabited. Fees not paid by the owner within 60 days from the last day of each month that fees are due are deemed delinquent. A late fine may be imposed on delinquent fees equal to 100 percent of the amount due, if the owner is notified in accordance with Subsection E. Interest may also be charged where an owner fails to pay the fee or late fine, if the owner is notified in accordance with Subsection E. Interest shall be calculated at the rate of one percent per month, or fraction thereof, on the amount of the fee and late fine imposed, from the date the fee became delinquent until the date of payment.
E. Notice of Late Fine: If the Department determines pursuant to Subsection D that late fines and interest are due, then it shall notify the owner by United States mail in a sealed envelope, with postage paid, addressed to the last known address of the owner as that address appears in the last equalized assessment roll. The Department may also take reasonable steps to determine the address of the current owner. The notice of late fine shall state the amount of the fee due and that:
“if the fee is not remitted to the Department within 30 days after the date of mailing of this notice, the Department shall assess a late fine equal to 100 percent of the fee due. Any person who fails to pay the assessed fee and late fine shall also pay interest. Interest shall be calculated at the rate of one percent per month, or fraction of a month, on the amount of the fee and late fine, from the 30th day after the date of mailing of this notice until the date of payment. All costs incurred pursuant to LAMC Section 162.12 shall be a personal obligation against the owner of the property, recoverable by the City in an action before any court of competent jurisdiction. In addition to the personal obligation and all other remedies provided by law, the City may collect any judgment, fee, cost, or charge, including any permit fees, fines, late charges, or interest, incurred in relation to the provisions of LAMC Section 162.12 as provided in Los Angeles Administrative Code Sections 7.35.1 through 7.35.8.”
Service of the notice of late fine shall be deemed to have been completed at the time of deposit with the United States Postal Service. The owner shall remit the fee to the Department within 30 days after the date of mailing the notice of the fee.