California Health and Safety Code 17055 – (a) Any person residing in employee housing subject to this …
(a) Any person residing in employee housing subject to this part may file an administrative complaint orally or in writing with the enforcement agency. The enforcement agency shall deliver a summary or copy of the complaint, by mail or in person, to the owner or operator, at the time of filing the complaint.
(b) If a civil action under this part has not been filed by the enforcement agency within 21 days after receipt of the complaint, the complainant may bring a civil action for injunctive or declaratory relief and appropriate statutory damages, civil penalties, actual damages, penalties, and other remedies which arise from any violation of this part, building standards published in the State Building Standards Code relating to employee housing, regulations adopted pursuant to this part, or conditions of the permit.
Terms Used In California Health and Safety Code 17055
- Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Employee: as used in this part , does not include any of the following:
California Health and Safety Code 17005
- Employee housing: as used in this part , means any portion of any housing accommodation, or property upon which a housing accommodation is located, if all of the following factors exist:
California Health and Safety Code 17008
- Enforcement agency: as used in this part , means the Department of Housing and Community Development, or any city, county, or city and county which has assumed responsibility for the enforcement of this part, pursuant to Section 17050. See California Health and Safety Code 17007
- Person: as used in this part , includes any natural person, firm, association, organization, partnership, business trust, company, joint stock company, corporation, limited liability company, joint venture, or other organizations of persons. See California Health and Safety Code 17009.5
- State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Health and Safety Code 23
(c) In any civil action under this section, if the enforcement agency certifies that the employee housing is in compliance with this part, building standards published in the State Building Standards Code relating to employee housing, regulations adopted pursuant to this part, and conditions of the permit, no injunctive relief related to mandatory repairs shall be granted with respect to any alleged violation covered by the certificate.
(d) In any civil action brought by a private person or entity under this section, the private person or entity may be granted reasonable attorney’s fees and costs, in addition to any other remedy granted, if the private person or entity prevails, and if the trier of fact finds that the violations involve retaliation or are so extensive and of such a nature that the immediate health and safety of residents or the public is endangered or has been endangered.
(e) If a complainant alleges, and the court finds, that residents of the employee housing were in imminent peril as a result of serious violations of this part, the complainant may immediately proceed with the filing of a civil action without regard to the 21-day waiting period specified in subdivision (b).
(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 702, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2001.)