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Any Owner, or the agent of such Owner, or the lessee, or the occupant of any building, structure, property or part thereof ordered vacated hereunder who shall herself or himself or through others forcibly resist or prevent the enforcement of such order shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than $100, and not more than $1,000, or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period of not less than 10 days nor more than three months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
(Amended by Ord. 125-01, File No. 010269, App. 6/15/2001)
(a) Notice of Cost and Claim of Lien.
(1) Upon satisfactory compliance with the Director's order, the Director shall ascertain the administrative costs incurred by the Department and the Owner of such real property shall thereupon be obligated to the City and County of San Francisco in the amount of such administrative costs. The term "administrative costs" shall include attorneys' fees for those cases in which such fees have been awarded to the Department under this Article. The City and County of San Francisco shall thereupon have a lien for such costs, upon such real property until payment thereof, which lien shall also include additional charges for administrative expenses of $1,000, or 10 percent of the costs of abatement and removal, whichever is higher, and interest at a rate of 1½ percent per month, or fraction thereof, compounded monthly from the date of recordation of the lien on all fees and charges due as aforesaid. The Director shall cause a notice itemizing the administrative costs to be mailed in the manner herein provided for mailing Notice of Hearing, which notice shall demand payment thereof to the Department, and shall give notice of claim of such lien and of the recording of the same, in the event such amount is not paid, as hereinafter set forth.
(2) Upon the Responsible Parties' failure to comply with the Director's order and the completion of the abatement and removal of the nuisance by the Department, the Director shall, in addition to ascertaining the administrative costs as set forth in subparagraph (1) of this Section, ascertain the costs of abatement and removal incurred by the City and the Owner of such real property shall thereupon be obligated to the City and County of San Francisco in the amount of such costs of abatement and removal. In addition to the lien provided for in subparagraph (1) of this Section, the City and County of San Francisco shall have a lien for such costs of abatement and removal upon such real property until payment thereof, which lien shall also include additional charges for administrative expenses of $1,000, or 10 percent of the costs of abatement and removal, whichever is higher, and interest at a rate of 1½ percent per month, or fraction thereof, compounded monthly from the date of recordation of the lien on all fees and charges due as aforesaid. The Director shall cause a notice itemizing the cost of abatement and removal to be mailed in the manner herein provided for mailing Notice of Hearing, which notice shall demand payment thereof to the Department, and shall give notice of claim of such lien and of the recording of the same, in the event such amount is not paid, as hereinafter set forth.
(b) Recording of Lien. If the costs as provided for in subsection (a) of this Section are not paid to the Department within 45 days after mailing of notice thereof, the Director shall file in the Office of the Recorder of the City and County a verified claim containing a particular description of the property subject to such lien, the place and general nature of the administrative costs and of the abatement and removal for which the lien is claimed, the date of posting of said property, the date of the service of Notice of Violation and the Director's order, and the date of the removal of the nuisance, the name of the Owner of the property as aforesaid and the amount of the lien claimed, which shall include the cost of verification and filing thereof.
(c) Collection by Bureau of Delinquent Revenue. The Director shall also transmit to the Bureau of Delinquent Revenue, on the expiration of such 45-day period, a statement of each such unpaid costs, together with the cost of verification and filing and claim therefor. The bureau shall endeavor diligently to collect the same on behalf of the City and County by foreclosure of the lien therefor or otherwise. Any and all amounts paid or collected shall replenish the revolving fund hereinafter provided.
(d) Release of Lien. On payment of any such claim of lien, the Director shall give a release thereof.
(e) Continuing Appropriation Account. There is hereby created a Special Revenue Fund for a continuing appropriation account entitled "Payment of Property Owner's Delinquencies for Abatement and Removal of Nuisances."
The account shall be credited with such sums as may be appropriate by the Board of Supervisors, amounts collected by the Department and sums received in consideration of release of liens and payment of special assessments. Expenditures from said sums shall be made to pay for the abatement and removal of nuisances as provided in this Article. In the event that the unexpended balance in said account shall exceed $200,000 such excess shall be transferred to the unappropriated balance of the general fund.
(f) Collection of Expenses as a Special Assessment. The Director may initiate proceedings to make unpaid expenses for the administration of the abatement action and for the abatement and removal of nuisances a special assessment against the parcels of property from which the nuisance was abated and removed by the Department.
(g) Report of Delinquencies Transmitted to Board of Supervisors. A report of delinquent charges shall be transmitted to the Board of Supervisors by the Director as necessary, but in no event less often than once each year, commencing with the first anniversary of the date of enactment of this ordinance. Upon receipt by the Board of Supervisors of the report, it shall fix a time, date and place for hearing the report and any protests or objections thereto.
(h) Notice of Hearing. The Board of Supervisors shall cause notice of the hearing to be mailed to the Owner of the real property and any person or entity with a recorded interest in the property to which the service was rendered not less than 10 days prior to the date of hearing.
(i) Hearing. At the time for consideration of the report, the Board of Supervisors shall hear it with any objections of the Owners liable to be assessed for all administrative costs incurred and the costs of abatement and removal by the Director, if any. The Board of Supervisors may make such revisions, corrections or modifications of the report as it may deem just and, in the event that the Board of Supervisors is satisfied with the correctness of the report (as submitted or as revised, corrected or modified), it shall be confirmed or rejected by resolution. The decision of the Board of Supervisors on the report and on all protests or objections thereto shall be final and conclusive.
(j) Collection of Assessment. Upon confirmation of the report by the Board of Supervisors, the delinquent charges contained therein shall constitute a special assessment against the property to which the services were rendered. At the time the special assessment is imposed, the Director shall give notice to the Owner and other parties with an interest in the property by certified mail, and shall inform them that the property may be sold by the Tax Collector for unpaid delinquent assessments after three-years. Thereafter, said assessment may be collected at the same time and in the same manner as ordinary municipal taxes are collected and shall be subject to the same penalties and same procedure of sale as provided for delinquent, ordinary municipal taxes.
The assessments shall be subordinate to all existing special assessment liens previously imposed upon the property and paramount to all other liens except those for Stats, county and municipal taxes with which it shall be on parity. Such assessment lien shall continue until the assessment and all interest and penalties due and payable thereon are paid. All laws applicable to the levy, collection and enforcement of municipal taxes shall be applicable to said special assessments. However, if any real property to which the costs of abatement and removal relates has been transferred or conveyed to a bona fide purchaser for value or if a lien of a bona fide encumbrance for value has been created and attaches thereon, prior to the date on which the first installment of taxes would become delinquent, then the costs of abatement and removal shall not result in a lien against the real property but instead shall be transferred to the unsecured roll for collection.
(k) Severability. If any part or provision of this Article or application thereof, to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the ordinance, including the application of such part or provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby and shall continue in full force and effect. To this end the provisions of this ordinance are severable.
(Amended by Ord. 432-81, App. 8/21/81; Ord. 125-01, File No. 010269, App. 6/15/2001; Ord. 299-10, File No. 101062, App. 12/3/2010)
(a) Criminal Penalty. In addition to any other penalties provided in this Article, any person, or their agents, violating any of the provisions of this Article, or failing to comply with any direction or order of the Director given pursuant to the provisions of this Article, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $1000, or by imprisonment if the County Jail for a period of not less than 10 days nor more than three months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
(b) Civil Penalty.
(1) City Attorney Referral. The Director may refer a case to the City Attorney's Office for civil enforcement at any time.
(2) Presumption of Noncompliance with Order. In addition to any other penalties provided in this Article, any person or entity served with a notice or order by the Director setting forth the nature of the violation of this Article, demanding correction of such violation, and specifying the time within which such violation must be corrected, shall be presumed, in subsequent civil proceedings, to have failed to comply with that notice or order at and after the time given in that notice or order for correction of such violation, after the time period specified in the notice or order has expired without correction of that violation.
(3) Penalty Amounts. Any person or entity violating this Article shall be liable for a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation for each day such violation is committed or permitted to continue, which penalty shall be assessed and recovered in a civil action brought in the name of the people of the City and County of San Francisco by the City Attorney in any court of competent jurisdiction If a Responsible Party corrects a violation within the period specified in the Notice of Violation under Section 596(e)(1), the Court shall not award civil penalties for that violation under this Section provided that the Director has not cited the Responsible Party for the same type of violation at the same property more than twice in a 12-month period.
(4) Setting Civil Penalty. In assessing the amount of the civil penalty, the Court shall consider any one or more of the relevant circumstances presented by any of the parties to the case, including but not limited to the following: the nature and seriousness of the misconduct, the number of violations, the persistence of the misconduct, the length of time over which the misconduct occurred, the willfulness of the defendant's misconduct, and the defendant's assets, liabilities, and net worth. Any penalty assessed and recovered in an action brought pursuant to this paragraph shall be paid to the City and credited to the Public Health Environmental Health Code Compliance Fund for use in enforcement and prevention of violations of this Article. In addition, such violations will not be deemed legally abated until the property owner makes full payment of the assessment of costs and fees awarded to the City under this Article or any applicable State law.
(5) Cost Recovery. In any civil proceeding filed by the City Attorney to collect civil penalties, the Court may award the Department the costs and fees, including but not limited to attorneys' fees, authorized under this Article.
(c) Administrative Penalty.
(1) Penalty Amounts. As an alternative to any other fines and penalties applicable to a violation of Section 581(b), any person who violates one or more of those subparagraphs shall be subject to an administrative penalty not to exceed $1,000 for each violation, for each day such violation occurs. The administrative penalty shall be assessed, enforced and collected under Section 596 of this Article. If a Responsible Party corrects a violation within the period specified in the Notice of Violation under Section 596(e)(1), the Hearing Officer shall not award administrative penalties for that violation under this Section provided that the Director has not cited the Responsible Party for the same type of violation at the same property more than twice in a 12-month period.
(2) Setting Administrative Penalty. In setting the amount of the administrative penalty, the hearing officer shall consider any one or more of the relevant circumstances presented by any of the parties to the case, including but not limited to the following: the nature and seriousness of the misconduct, the number of violations, the persistence of the misconduct, the length of time over which the misconduct occurred, the willfulness of the defendant's misconduct, and the defendant's assets, liabilities, and net worth. Any penalty assessed and recovered in an action brought pursuant to this paragraph shall be paid to the City and credited to the Public Health Environmental Health Code Compliance Fund for use in enforcement and prevention of violations of this Article. In addition, such violations will not be deemed legally abated until the property owner makes full payment of the assessment of costs and fees awarded to the City under this Article or any applicable State law.
(3) Cost Recovery. In any civil proceeding filed by the City Attorney to collect administrative penalties, the Court may award the Department the costs and fees, including but not limited to attorneys' fees, authorized under this Article. Any administrative penalty assessed and recovered pursuant to this paragraph shall be paid to the City Treasurer and credited to the Public Health Environmental Health Code Compliance Fund for use in enforcement and prevention of violations of this Article.
(d) Remedies under this Article 11 are non-exclusive, and the City Attorney may institute civil proceedings for injunctive and monetary relief, including civil penalties, against any person for violations of the Health Code under any circumstances, without regard to whether a complaint has been filed or the Director has issued a Notice of Violation or an order to abate a nuisance under Section 596(i).
(Amended by Ord. 125-01, File No. 010269, App. 6/15/2001; Ord. 87-03, File No. 030482, App. 5/9/2003; Ord. 292-04, File No. 040561, App. 12/24/2004; Ord. 299-10, File No. 101062, App. 12/3/2010; Ord. 60-16
, File No. 151085, App. 4/27/2016, Eff. 5/27/2016, Oper. 6/1/2016)
[Poison Ivy; Poison Oak]
Any Owner permitting poisonous growth as defined in Section 581(b)(11) is required to cause the removal and destruction of such poisonous growth when ordered by the Director pursuant to this Article.
(Amended by Ord. 125-01, File No. 010269, App. 6/15/2001)
(Repealed by Ord. 125-01, File No. 010269, App. 6/15/2001)
The Department is hereby charged with the proper enforcement of Section 605 of this Article.
(Amended by Ord. 125-01, File No. 010269, App. 6/15/2001)
Any person, firm, association or corporation, neglecting or refusing to remove and destroy such poisonous growth within the time period set by the Director under this Article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be subject to a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period of not less than 15 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
(Amended by Ord. 125-01, File No. 010269, App. 6/15/2001)
[Vector Control and Healthy Housing Inspection Program; Fees]
(a) Payment of Fee. Every owner of an apartment house or hotel, as these terms are defined by Section 401 of the San Francisco Building Code, shall pay an annual fee to the Department as required by this Section 609. This fee shall be known as the “Vector Control and Healthy Housing Inspection Program Fee.” The amount of the fee shall be determined by the number of rental units in the building. For purposes of this Section, “rental unit” shall mean a dwelling unit, as that term is defined by Section 401 of the San Francisco Building Code, which is rented or offered for rental at any time during the year for which the fee is billed, whether rent is paid in money, goods, or services. An owner of a residential condominium located in a building with three or more rental units (including but not limited to condominiums) shall pay a fee proportional to that owner’s share of the rental units in the building.
(b) Purpose of Fee. The City may expend the proceeds of this fee only to defray the program and other costs of the vector control, lead hazards, asbestos hazards, and other inspections for health violations and the regulation of these buildings by the Department of Public Health pursuant to California Government Code Section 54988. The Director shall develop a program for regularly occurring inspections. In addition, the Department may make additional inspections to respond to complaints by occupants, or as otherwise appropriate.
(c) Responsibility for Payment. The owner is responsible for payment of the fee. The City may collect only one annual fee set forth in subsection (f) per apartment house or hotel, except that residential condominium owners shall pay their share of the fee as set forth in subsection (a). Where more than one person has an ownership interest in an apartment house or hotel, each owner is responsible for payment of the fee.
(d) Late payment penalty.
(1) If an owner does not pay the fee required by this Section 609 within 30 days of the due date, the owner shall pay a late payment penalty of $10. If an owner does not pay the fee within 60 days of the due date, the owner shall pay an additional late payment penalty of $20.
(2) In lieu of the penalties under subsection (d)(1), for Hotel Fees under subsection (f) that are due on or after March 31, 2026, the penalties and interest in Section 76.1-1 of the Business and Tax Regulations Code shall apply.
(e) Collection of Fee. In the event that the owner fails to pay any fee due under this Section 609, the City may collect the fee through the placement of a lien in the amount of the fee owed or delinquent, plus interest at the rate of 1.5% per month or for Hotel Fees due on or after March 31, 2026 interest under Section 76.1-1 of the Business and Tax Regulations Code on the outstanding balance and any late payment penalties, against the real property pursuant to the procedures set forth in California Government Code Section 54988 and of the Administrative Code (beginning with Section 10.230
). In accordance with California Government Code Section 54988, all laws applicable to the levy, collection, and enforcement of ad valorem taxes shall be applicable to the proposed lien.
(f) Fee Schedule.
Apartment Building Fees
Number of Rental Units In Apartment Building | Fee Per Building Per Annum |
Number of Rental Units In Apartment Building | Fee Per Building Per Annum |
3 units | $25 |
4-6 units | $31 |
7-10 units | $42 |
11-15 units | $50 |
16-20 units | $70 |
21-30 units | $82 |
Over 30 units | $103 |
Hotel Fees
Number of Rental Units of Hotel | Fee Per Building Per Annum |
Number of Rental Units of Hotel | Fee Per Building Per Annum |
Less than 20 units | $151 |
20-29 units | $177 |
30-39 units | $218 |
40-49 units | $269 |
50-59 units | $353 |
60-99 units | $407 |
100-149 units | $439 |
150-175 units | $494 |
More than 175 units | $582 |
(g) For Hotel Fees due on or after March 31, 2026, the Hotel Fees set forth in subsection (f) shall be due and payable on March 31 of each year for the upcoming year commencing April 1, and may be collected by the Tax Collector under the Unified License Bill provisions of Section 76.1-1 of Article 2 of the Business and Tax Regulations Code.
(Ord. 159-08, File No. 080748, App. 7/30/2008; amended by Ord. 279-24, File No. 240926, App. 12/19/2024, Eff. 1/19/2025, Oper. 2/1/2025)
(a) If an inspection discloses a violation of any provision of this Code or of any State law for which the Department is responsible for enforcement, the Department shall determine a period of time that is reasonable to correct the violation and shall thereafter reinspect the property to verify such-correction. The term "reinspection" shall refer to any inspection by the Department to verify whether an owner has corrected a violation.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (c), the owner shall pay a fee in the amount of $167.00 per hour for each reinspection by an environmental health inspector, and $150.00 per hour for each reinspection by an environmental health technician to compensate the Department for its costs in performing the reinspection. Reinspections that require more than one hour to complete shall be subject to an additional fee at the rate of $83.00 for reinspections by environmental health inspectors, and $75.00 for reinspections by environmental health technicians, for each half hour or part thereof beyond the first 60 minutes. If more than one reinspection is necessary to secure correction of a violation, the owner shall pay a fee in the amount set forth herein for each reinspection. In the event that the owner fails to pay any reinspection fee due under this Section within 30 days of the due date, the owner must pay a late payment penalty of $40.00 and the City may collect the reinspection fee through the placement of a lien in the amount of the fee and any late payment penalty owed or delinquent, plus interest of one and ½ percent per month, against the real property pursuant to the procedures set forth in Chapter 10, Article XX of the San Francisco Administrative Code (beginning with Section 10.230).
(c) The Vector Control and Healthy Housing Fee shall cover the cost of regularly occurring inspections, initial complaint-based inspections, and the first reinspection. The reinspection fees described in subsection (b) shall apply to apartment houses and hotels subject to the Vector Control and Healthy Housing Inspection Program Fee for the second and every subsequent reinspection necessary to secure the correction of a violation. In addition to the lien procedures set out in subsection (b), all laws applicable to the levy, collection, and enforcement of ad valorem taxes shall be applicable to proposed liens for collection of reinspection fees for property subject to the Vector Control and Healthy Housing Inspection Program Fee.
(Ord. 159-08, File No. 080748, App. 7/30/2008)
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