South Gate : Pardon Offered for Garages Converted to Living Spaces

An amnesty program for the owners of attached garages that are serving as residential space in violation of zoning codes went into effect Monday in South Gate. It was adopted last week by the City Council.

Those eligible to take part in the amnesty program must own the single-family residences in which they reside and must not be renting out the converted garage. The garage must have been converted by a previous owner before 1960.

Applications for amnesty will be accepted until Dec. 31, and applicants must provide some documentation such as termite inspection reports or escrow papers to show that the garage was already converted when they purchased the house. There is a $200 application fee and a $50 code inspection fee for the amnesty program.