Newport Beach targets rehab homes; one briefly hosted Lindsay Lohan

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Actress Lindsay Lohan is showered with gold glitter as she walks with her attorney, Mark Heller, into Los Angeles County Superior Court. She has been charged with three misdemeanor counts stemming from a car crash in 2012 on Pacific Coast Highway. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)

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Lindsay Lohan arrives for her probation hearing. The case stemmed from two drunk-driving arrests in 2007, in addition to reckless driving and being under the influence of cocaine. Story (Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty Images)

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Lindsay Lohan and her attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, argued that the actress thought she was in compliance with the court-ordered alcohol program. Story (David McNew / Getty Images)

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Deputy Dist. Atty. Danette Meyers, right, and defense attorney Shawn Chapman Holley speak at the hearing. Lindsay Lohan’s probation was revoked in May after she missed a scheduled hearing. Story (David McNew / Getty Images)

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Lohan turns to lawyer Shawn Chapman Holley during the hearing. Story (David McNew / Getty Images)

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Actress Lindsay Lohan and lawyer Shawn Chapman Holley attend a probation revocation hearing at the Beverly Hills Courthouse. Lohan was found in violation of her probation for the August 2007 no-contest plea to drug and alcohol charges stemming from two separate traffic accidents. She is scheduled to surrender on July 20 to serve her 90 day jail sentence. (David McNew / Getty Images)

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Lindsay Lohan arrives at the Beverly Hills Courthouse to begin serving her 90-day sentence for a probation violation. (John W. Adkisson / Los Angeles Times)

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Lindsay Lohan walks through confetti as she arrives at the courthouse. After Lohan’s court appearance, a couple of unmarked cars pulled up to the side of the courthouse to take her to jail. Paparazzi crowded around the vehicles to snap pictures through the tinted windows (Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty Images)

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Media cover the arrival of Lindsay Lohan at the Beverly Hills Courthouse. (David McNew / Getty Images)

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Dina Lohan, at left, accompanies daughter Lindsay at the Beverly Hills Courthouse as she surrenders for a jail sentence. (David McNew / Getty Images)

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Lindsay Lohan is shown in court before being taken to Lynwood’s Century Regional Detention Facility. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Lindsay Lohan is accompanied by sheriff’s deputies into the Beverly Hills courthouse, where a judge ordered her to be taken into custody without bail. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Lindsay Lohan is escorted by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies into the Beverly Hills courthouse. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)

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A car presumably carrying Lindsay Lohan (behind the white towel) is driven away from the courthouse in Beverly Hills after a judge orders her to jail. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Michael Lohan, father of Lindsay Lohan, is interviewed as he leaves the Beverly Hills Courthouse. (Nick Ut / Associated Press)

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Lindsay Lohan arrives at Airport Courthouse, where she was charged Wednesday with one count of felony grand theft for allegedly stealing a $2,500 necklace from a Venice jewelry store. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

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Lindsay Lohan arrives at Airport Courthouse. The actress could face a couple of years in jail on the grand theft charge, but experts say that’s unlikely. (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

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Lindsay Lohan arrives at Airport Courthouse for a court proceeding on felony grand theft charges on Feb. 23. About 40 paparazzi stood ready by the concrete walkway and nine television trucks parked nearby. In the air, a chopper for KTLA followed Lohan’s drive from the Venice home where she is living to the courthouse. (Mike Nelson / EPA)

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Lohan sits in court with her attorney for a hearing related to allegations that she stole a $2,500 necklace from a Venice jewelry store. “This case does involve jail time -- period,” Judge Keith Schwartz told her. “If you plead in front of me -- if this case resolves in front of me -- you are going to jail. Period. It may be an issue as to amount of time.” (Paul Buck / EPA)

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Lindsay Lohan shows up at the Airport Courthouse April 22 to hear the judge’s decision in the alleged necklace-theft case. (Toby Canham / Getty Images)

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The judge ruled that Lohan violated her probation by failing to return the necklace immediately, and ordered her to spend 120 days in jail and serve 480 hours of community service at a downtown women’s center and the Los Angeles County morgue. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

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Los Angeles County prosecutor Danette Meyers plans to appeal the judge’s decision to reduce the charge against Lindsay Lohan from a felony to a misdemeanor. Lohan was bailed out of jail late Friday, less than five hours after she was taken into custody, and will stand trial June 3. (Valerie Macon / Getty Images)

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Lindsay Lohan arrives at court for her probation progress report hearing. (Toby Canham / Getty Images)

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Lindsay Lohan and her lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, in court. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Lindsay Lohan listens as her attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, makes her case to the judge. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Lindsay Lohan is led away in handcuffs after her probation was revoked. Bail was set at $100,000, which Lohan posted in less than an hour. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)

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Lindsay Lohan and her attorney Shawn Holley, sit in court during Lohan’s probation violation hearing at the Los Angeles Airport Courthouse. (Mario Anzuoni / Getty Images)

By Lauren Williams

May 14, 2013 12:35 PM PT

Newport Beach officials plan to ask a judge to close seven substance abuse recovery facilities in the city, including the rehab home where actress Lindsay Lohan stayed briefly before checking into the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage instead.

The effort to close the recovery homes comes after an Orange County Superior Court ruled that Morningside Recovery in Lido Village operates in violation of a city ordinance barring commercial recovery centers in residential areas.

The recovery center is the facility that Lohan visited earlier this month after being ordered to complete a 90-day residency at a drug rehab home. The actress left quickly, however, after it was disclosed that the Lido Village home did not have a license to provide alcohol or drug treatment as required when Lohan was sentenced.

PHOTOS: Lindsay Lohan’s life in pictures

At issue in the Superior Court ruling last week was whether Morningside operates treatment facilities or residential homes for those trying to recover from addiction.

The distinction is important because rental homes, which largely fall under state and federal housing laws, are not subject to the same types of city restrictions as rehabilitation centers.

While the city allows rehab facilities in some areas, typically parts of the city with higher density, Morningside has operated in neighborhoods of single-family homes, in violation of a local ordinance, Newport Beach City Atty. Aaron Harp said.

Morningside Chief Executive Mary Helen Beatificato did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In ruling against Morningside on Thursday, Superior Court Judge Sheila Fell said residents of its facilities generally stay 30 to 90 days, per their treatment plans, and do not chose with whom or where they live.

“The only connection between the residents of Morningside’s houses is the treatment relationship between the client and Morningside,” Fell said. “The residents are not friends or relatives. Their mail is delivered to Morningside’s offices and distributed from there to the clients.”

She said, in her ruling, that Morningside residents don’t contribute to household expenses and are not allowed visitors, though they do help with household chores.

Newport Beach Mayor Keith Curry lauded the ruling as a victory for the city, which has been battling the proliferation of rehab homes for years.

“We’re very pleased with the court’s decision,” he said. “This upholds the city’s strategies for addressing these nuisances, and it helps us preserve the character of our communities.”

Morningside Recovery, which also operates in Costa Mesa, has been mired in legal troubles.

Among those is a lawsuit filed by the family of 20-year-old Brandon Jacques, who went into cardiac arrest while being treated for alcoholism and bulimia at a different Costa Mesa facility. Morningside has maintained it was not caring for Jacques when he died.

Morningside will have 10 days to object to the proposed judgment.

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Twitter: @LAWilliams30

lauren.williams@latimes.com