Enforcing Codes: A Dirty Job

Recently I headed to a Garden Grove business complex to see a woman with impressive credentials in her field. Her office was a shocker.

You couldn’t tell from the outside, but it was a fire marshal’s nightmare. She was a pack rat with clutter everywhere. Barely a path to walk around. And worse, she lived there, amid the ruins.

Ignoring city building codes is all too common in Orange County.

Not long ago, Huntington Beach officials got a call about a stench in a nice neighborhood that seemed to be coming from one house. Code enforcement officer Tony Duarte could see when he approached it was a $350,000 home, minimum. And inside, the owners had kept it immaculate. Then he got to the backyard:

“There were 11 pigs in back, most of them pregnant, and the owners were butchering them for food. The flies were everywhere, and the smell and noise were just awful. They’d turned their entire backyard into a pig sty.”

Anaheim code enforcement chief John Poole can tell you about people living in an apartment who discovered oil leaking from their ceiling. Code enforcement officers discovered why: Their neighbors above were tearing apart a greasy motorcycle in their living room.

These tales are multiplied by the thousands throughout the county. Huntington Beach gets about 900 building code complaints each month. A Costa Mesa official told me that city can hardly keep up with its calls.

But here is some good news, if you’re unhappy with what your neighbors are doing--or maybe what your landlord is not doing: Officials in your city want to hear from you.

“Our job is to make sure that every household in our city is safe and meets sanitary conditions,” said Poole of Anaheim. “But you have to let us know.”

I called several cities and discovered that they investigate every complaint they receive, most within 24 hours, including weekends. If they find code violations, those responsible are usually given 10 days to correct the problem. But if it’s an emergency, such as a sewage buildup, city officials may order immediate relief. Those who ignore enforcement orders usually face fines the first time of $100, $200 the second time and $500 fines each time after that. If a serious problem persists, you can expect them to take you to court.

The problems run the gamut. One serious problem in almost every city: People who keep inoperable cars on their property. It gives the neighborhood a blighted look, which most neighbors hate. Huntington Beach, for example, has one officer who does nothing but handle such car complaints.

Another problem that never occurred to me: People letting their swimming pools turn green from lack of care. Because of the danger of children falling into pools and not being seen, most cities strictly enforce clear pool visibility. Several code enforcement officers told me about people who save money by simply living at their offices. That violates the code books in almost every city in Orange County.

My new friend in the Garden Grove complex is lucky she hasn’t been caught. Not long ago someone in a similar situation accidentally set off a fire alarm. Fire officials told code officers. That ended that setup.

Jerry Hicks’ column appears Monday and Thursday. Readers may reach Hicks by calling (714) 564-1049 or e-mail to jerry.hicks@latimes.com