Code Compliance Frequently Asked Questions |
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A. To determine if construction work is being done with the required building permit, you may contact
the Building Information Line between 1:00-5:00 PM at (831) 454-2260 |
A. The Planning Department retains a copy of the approved plans for each issued active building permit.
These plans may be reviewed at the Planning Department located at 701 Ocean St Room 400, in Santa Cruz during business hours of
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. |
A. A building inspector inspects on-going construction to ensure that the work is completed according to plans. |
A. Complaints of unpermitted construction, land uses, or grading, tree removal, or filling must be reported
in writing. Complaint forms are available at all Planning Department locations.
Complaints may also be filed online by completing our Code Complaint Form. |
A. The name of the complaintant is kept confidential. If required by a judge of a Superior Appellate or Supreme Court,
the name of the complaintant would be made known to the judge who may or may not make such information public. |
A. Your complaint is entered into a computer system and an Investigation File is prepared. Information concerning
development and building permits is collected along with information from various county departments and agencies
such as the Assessors Department, fire agencies, etc. |
A. If you wish to have receipt of your complaint acknowledged, you may indicate so on the complaint form when you file it. Also,
you may call the Planning Department Code Compliance telephone at (831) 454-2580 to inquire about the status of your complaint. |
A. Contact the Code Compliance Investigator that issued the notice, their name and telephone number is written on the notice
and they are available to respond to your telephone calls 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM. By discussing the nature of the violation
with the Code Compliance Investigator you will be given information of your next step to resolve the violation.
Usually you will be referred to the planning, building, or environmental planning counter staff. No appointment is necessary, however, please check our hours and locations. The counter staff will have computer access to the information concerning the violation posted on your property and will advise you of the different options you have to resolve the violation. In many instances the required building permit and inspections can be obtained for the unpermitted construction; in some instances, the unpermitted construction cannot be permitted and must be removed. |
A. The County Code is available online and you may view and/or print the code section listed on the
Notice of Violation. The Code Compliance Investigator who responded to the complaint on your property and is conducting
the investigation can also provide you, by mail or fax, a copy of the applicable code section. |
A. If you do not resolve the violation, the Notice of Violation will, at the end of a 20 day period
within which you may question the issuance of the notice, be recorded on the title of the property. |
A. The Notice of Violation is recorded on the title of the property to inform any prospective purchaser
or anyone who may assume financial interest in the property that a violation has been confirmed on the property. |
A. No appointment is required for you to meet with planning counter staff and they will have computer access to the information concerning the violation
posted on your property and will advise you on the different options you have to resolves the violation. In many
instances the required zoning approvals can be obtained for the unpermitted uses; in some instances, the
unpermitted uses cannot be approved and must be removed. |
A. No appointment is required for you to meet with building counter staff and they will have computer access to the information concerning the violation
posted on your property and will advise you on the different options you have to resolves the violation. In many
instances the required building permit and inspections can be obtained for the unpermitted construction; in some instances, the
unpermitted uses cannot be approved and must be removed. |
A. No appointment is required for you to meet with environmental planning counter staff and they will have computer access to the information concerning the violation
posted on your property and will advise you on the different options you have to resolve the violation. In many
instances the required environmental permit and inspections can be obtained for the unpermitted
grading, tree removal, etc; in some instances, unpermitted grading, tree removal cannot be permitted and must be restored. |
A. The County's Neglected Property ordinance requires owners of residential properties to maintain their properties
free of accumulations of debris, trash, and junk in the front and in the side yard setbacks. Violations
posted as a Neglected Property are readily corrected by simply removing to an approved disposal site the debris, trash, or junk.
Alternatively such materials may be removed and stored within a structure. |
A. Contact the Code Compliance Investigator who issued the notice of violation. He or she will confirm that the permitted
work has passed the final building inspection and all "holds" by other agencies or departments have been cleared.
Once all other holds are cleared, the Code Compliance Investigator will remove the last remaining code compliance "hold". |
A. Contact the Code Compliance Investigator who issued the notice of violation. He or she will confirm that the violation
has been corrected or the permit legalizing the construction has been finaled. He/She will then update the County records
to indicate that the violation has been corrected. |
A. If a Notice of Violation has been recorded on the title, you must request that this notice be expunged, e.g.
erased. Recording an expungement, which indicates that the violation has been corrected, does this. Payment of all Code
Compliance enforcement costs as well as an $93 fee is required before an expungement can be recorded.
Contact the Code Compliance Investigator who recorded the Notice of Violation on your property and he/she will prepare
the appropriate forms and documents. |
A. Fortunately most property owners act very promptly to correct violations on their property once
they are informed of the need to do so. For those property owners who do not elect to correct posted violations, a thorough and often
costly enforcement process results.
After the Notice of Violation is recorded, the matter is referred to administration hearing, as authorized by state statute. In an administrative hearing the County presents evidence of the existence of a violation and seeks a decision which includes a deadline for correction of the violation, payment of all County costs incurred in seeking correction of the violation, payment of a civil penalty and, for violations involving the construction and/or maintenance of unpermitted residential units, payment of an amount equal to the rental value of the illegal unit. In addition the County seeks the authority to lien all costs, civil penalties, and illegal rents on the property in question; such liens must be paid concurrently with property taxes or property will be in default. More serious violations are referred directly to County Counsel for prosecution in Superior Court, by passing the Administrative Hearing process. |