A Palmdale restaurant were long-time code violators with the City’s municipal code, from building codes to permitting and zoning. What was originally approved as a restaurant, had been converted to an unpermitted entertainment space with an outdoor stage, live music, service of alcohol, and other operations, all violating the City and County’s regulations. The business owners did not seek relevant approvals to operate under these conditions. The unapproved modifications were dangerous for occupants, such as illegal electrical and structural modifications.
Since 2020, the City has attempted to obtain the business owners’ voluntary compliance by issuing notices and correction lists. The City even met with management/owners on ways to bring the property and business into compliance. In addition, the City was receiving consistent noise complaints from the community. When those efforts continued to be ignored, Civica Law’s team was asked to assist the City to ensure that the property was brought into compliance.
Civica Law’s Solution for Ensured Compliance
At Civica Law, we strive to achieve compliance before reaching litigation. We always reach out to the property owners to seek compliance to save the City time and its taxpayers money. Finally, after numerous code violation notifications, the restaurant owners were prompted to become compliant with municipal codes. However, in 2023 the City discovered that the property was again being used beyond their approved operations, this time as an indoor nightclub.
Working with City staff, Civica Law again notified the business owners of their code violations and illegal operations where final and full compliance was achieved. Civica Law and the City of Palmdale ensured this business was safe for the community. The business owners quickly learned that they could not continue their illegal operations and the City of Palmdale would not stand for unapproved land use and business operations.
“Here at Civica Law, we pride ourselves in our litigation skills, but more so, we pride ourselves on our ability and efforts to find compliance without court intervention. We work with clients to find tailored and fair solutions for each code compliance case. We are proud of our work done with this case and are glad we were able to help the City protect the community without having to resort to Court; it’s a win-win for all parties involved.”
The City and Civica Law’s approach avoided further enforcement and court action, saving the City and its taxpayers time and money. Courts are necessary in some cases but thankfully, we achieved compliance without resorting to the courts. Civica Law is proud to achieve another successful case resolution, contributing to a peaceful and secure community living environment, and reinforcing the significance of code enforcement initiatives.
