Local government: fines and penalties: assessments.

Existing law authorizes the legislative body of a local agency to make any violation of any ordinance enacted by the local agency subject to an administrative fine or penalty, as specified. This bill would authorize a city, county, or city and county to, after notice and public hearing, specially assess any fines or penalties not paid after demand by the city, county, or city and county against real property owned by the person owing those fines or penalties where the fines or penalties are related to ordinance violations on the real property upon which the fines or penalties would be specially assessed, and the ordinance violations constitute a public nuisance or threat to public health and safety. The bill would provide that the assessment may be collected at the same time and in the same manner as ordinary county taxes are collected, and shall be subject to the same penalties and the same procedure and sale in case of delinquency as are provided for ordinary county taxes, and would authorize the city, county, or city and county to record a lien against the property. This bill would authorize a local agency to appoint a hearing officer to hear and decide issues regarding ordinance violations and the imposition of administrative fines and penalties.