Residential property: possession by declaration.

Existing law allows a plaintiff, upon motion, to have immediate possession of the premises of a manufactured home, mobilehome, or real property by a writ of possession issued by a court and directed to the sheriff of the county or marshal, for execution, where it appears to the satisfaction of the court, after a hearing on the motion, from the verified complaint and from any affidavits filed or oral testimony given by or on behalf of the parties, that the defendant resides out of state, has departed from the state, cannot, after due diligence, be found within the state, or has concealed himself or herself to avoid the service of summons. Existing law provides that every person who willfully commits a trespass is guilty of a misdemeanor. This bill would allow an owner of residential property in the Cities of Palmdale and Lancaster in the County of Los Angeles or the City of Ukiah in the County of Mendocino, or an agent of the property owner, to register vacant real property with the local law enforcement agency and to execute, under penalty of perjury, a Declaration of Ownership of Residential Real Property. By expanding the scope of the crime of perjury, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. This bill would further allow the property owner, or an agent of the property owner, to file the Declaration of Ownership of Residential Real Property with the local law enforcement agency of the jurisdiction in which the property is located. The bill would require the property owner to post the filed declaration on the property listed in the declaration. The bill would require the local law enforcement agency with which the property is registered to respond as soon as practicable after being notified that an unauthorized person has been found on the property and take specified action, including requiring a person who is found on the property to produce written authorization to be on the property or other evidence demonstrating the person's right to possession, and notifying any person who does not produce that authorization or other evidence that the owner or owner's agency may seek to obtain a court order and that the person will be subject to arrest for trespass if he or she is subsequently found on the property in violation of that order. The bill would allow the property owner, or an agent of the property owner, to file an action for a temporary restraining order and injunctive relief against a person who is found on the property not less than 48 hours after that person has been so notified. The bill would provide that a property owner, or an agent of the property owner, who files a declaration that includes false information regarding the right to possess the property is liable to any person who, as a result of the declaration, vacates the property, for damages, as specified. By imposing new duties on local law enforcement agencies, this bill would create a state-mandated local program. The bill would provide that its provisions apply only to 1 to 4-unit residences in the Cities of Palmdale and Lancaster in the County of Los Angeles and the City of Ukiah in the County of Mendocino. This bill would provide that its provisions would be operative until January 1, 2018. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the Cities of Palmdale and Lancaster in the County of Los Angeles and the City of Ukiah in the County of Mendocino. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.