DOWNTOWN : Owner Fined $8,648 for Hotel Violations

The owner of a 50-room hotel has been ordered to pay $8,648 in fines and court costs after pleading no contest to 10 misdemeanor fire, health, and building and safety code violations, officials said.

Los Angeles Municipal Court Judge Thomas L. Wilhite Jr. gave David Hsieh, 42, of Monterey Park until July 13 to make the payment, said Deputy City Atty. Lawrence P.V. Punter.

Hsieh, owner of the Carver Hotel at 460 E. 4th St., originally faced 25 misdemeanor counts, but the charges were reduced as part of a plea bargain, Punter said.

In addition to the fine, Hsieh was also sentenced to two years probation, he said.

The unsafe conditions at the three-story hotel, which have since been corrected, were discovered during inspections between last December and February, officials said.

Inspectors found missing and inoperable smoke detectors, exposed live electrical wiring, defective fire doors, and damage to walls, floors and ceilings.

The defendant’s attorney, Dennis Chang, said the owner and his family have spent more than $100,000 to comply with city codes--although hotel business has suffered since the riots two years ago. The building now houses only three tenants.

“They’re going to sell it,” Chang said. “It’s in perfect condition now.”