Indio Municipal Code Ch. 157 Trailers and Trailer Parks

Subchapter 1. General Provisions

157.01. Definitions.

[1961 Code, § 22.1; Ord. 261; Ord. 531]

For the purpose of this chapter the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.

BUILDING DEPARTMENT

The Building Department or the Building Inspector of the city.

FAMILY

One person living along, or a group of two or more persons, whether related to each other or not, living together in a house trailer.

FIRE DEPARTMENT

The Fire Department or the Fire Chief of the city.

HEALTH DEPARTMENT

The Health Department or the Health Officer of the city.

TRAILERS, HOUSE TRAILERS, TRAILER COACHES, CAMP CARS, BOAT TRAILERS and AUTOMOBILE PULLED TRAILERS

Any unit used for transporting any object or any unit used for living or sleeping purposes and which is equipped with wheels or other similar devices used for the purpose of transporting such unit from place to place and which is not self-propelled.

TRAILER PARK, TRAILER COURT and TRAILER CAMP

Any place or are in the city wherein two or more house trailers are located and used as living or sleeping quarters for one or more families or persons with the express consent of the owner or person in charge of the land upon which the trailer park is located.

157.02. Adoption of applicable state law by reference.

[1961 Code, § 22.2; Ord. 261]

That those certain documents, three copies of each of which are on file in the office of the City Clerk and which are marked and designated that certain code as enacted by the State Legislature and contained in Cal. Health & Safety Code ch. 1, 3 and 4, part 2, div. 13 (generally referred to as Trailer Park Act); Rules and Regulations to Implement, Interpret and Make Specific Provisions of the Trailer Park Act, Cal. Admin. Code tit. viii, ch. 9, art. 1; Plumbing Rules and Regulations for Independent Trailer Coaches, Cal. Admin. Code tit. viii, ch. 9, art. 3; Rules and Regulations for Structures in Trailer Parks, Cal. Admin. Code tit. viii, ch. 9, art. 4; and Rules and Regulations for Electrical Standards in Trailer Parks, Cal. Admin. Code tit. viii, ch. 9, art. 5 and each of the provisions thereof are hereby adopted by reference and made a part of this chapter with the same force and effect as if each and all were herein set forth in full, providing that whichever provisions, whether of this chapter or those adopted herein by reference are the more restrictive, then such more restrictive provisions shall prevail.

157.03. House trailers to comply with Building Code and state housing laws when wheels removed.

[1961 Code, § 22.8; Ord. 261]

Any house trailer on which the wheel have been removed, except for the purpose of making temporary repairs, shall be deemed a permanent residence and shall be made to conform to all the requirements pertaining to permanent buildings of the Building Code and other ordinances of the city and the State Housing Acts.

157.04. Permission required from owner of land to park trailer coaches thereon.

[1961 Code, § 22.9; Ord. 261]

It shall be unlawful for any person to place, keep or maintain any auto house trailer on any land within the city without the expressed permission of the owner of such land.

Subchapter 2. Administration and Enforcement

157.15. Enforcement officials.

[1961 Code, § 22.3; Ord. 261]

The provisions of this chapter shall be enforced by the Building Official of the city, provided that the Health Department and Fire Department thereof may also enforce such provisions of this chapter as may pertain to their respective jurisdictions.

157.16. Right of entry.

[1961 Code, § 22.4; Ord. 261]

Inspectors of the Building Department, the Health Department and the Fire Department of the city, and any other department having jurisdiction, may enter public or private property to determine whether there exists any trailer park to which this chapter or any other law applies; to inspect all accommodations, equipment or paraphernalia to be used in connection therewith, including the right to examine a register of occupants, maintained therein, in order to enforce the provisions of this chapter or other law applying.

157.17. Officers of Building Official to have authority of peace officers.

[1961 Code, § 22.10; Ord. 261]

For the purpose of securing the enforcement of this chapter the officers or agents of the Building Official shall have the authority of peace officers, including authority to make arrests, to serve any process or notice throughout the state, and generally such other authority of peace officers as may be necessary in order to secure enforcement of this chapter.

Subchapter 3. Abatement of Nuisances

157.30. Generally.

[1961 Code, § 22.5; Ord. 261]

The owner or operator of an auto and trailer camp shall abate any nuisance in the camp within five days, or within such longer period of time as may be allowed by the Building Official, after he has been given written notice by the Building Official to remove the nuisance.

157.31. Failure to comply.

[1961 Code, § 22.6; Ord. 261]

If the owner or operator of an auto and trailer camp located within the city shall fail to comply with § 157.30, the City Attorney shall bring a civil action to abate the nuisance in the superior court of the county in the name of the city.

157.32. Grounds for abating operation in trailer camps.

[1961 Code, § 22.7; Ord. 261]

In any action or proceeding to abate a nuisance in an auto and trailer camp, proof of the following facts is sufficient for a judgment or order for the abatement of the operation of the auto and trailer camp:

(A) Previous conviction of the owner or operator of the auto and trailer camp of a violation of this chapter which constitutes a nuisance.

(B) Failure of the part of the owner or operator to correct the violation after the conviction.

(C) The violation is the basis for the proceeding.

Subchapter 4. Permits to Operate Trailer Parks

157.45. Required.

[1961 Code, § 22.11; Ord. 261]

It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to construct, operate, maintain or offer for public use, within the confines of the city, as hereinafter set forth, any trailer park without first applying for and receiving from the Building Official, a permit to do so in the manner hereinafter set forth, and without complying with the requirements of zoning regulations in the Unified Development Code, and without complying with rules and regulations which may be formulated by the Health Department from time to time.

157.46. Compliance with state law.

[1961 Code, § 22.12; Ord. 261]

No permit shall be issued until evidence has been submitted to the Building Official, the Health Department and the Fire Department, that all parts of the Cal. Health & Safety Code div. 13, part 2, and all provisions of this chapter have been complied with.

157.47. Application; forms; information to be shown.

[1961 Code, § 22.13; Ord. 261]

Each application for a permit shall be in writing upon a form provided by the Building Official for that purpose. It shall state the name and address of the applicant and a description of the property wherein it is proposed to conduct a trailer park. It shall also contain such other information as the Building Official may require. It shall be filed with the Building Official not less than ten days nor more than 30 days before the trailer park is made ready for use.

157.48. Inspection fee to accompany application.

[1961 Code, § 22.14; Ord. 261; Ord. 665]

An inspection fee in an amount established by resolution of the City Council must accompany each application, for which the Building Official shall issue a receipt.

157.49. Investigation prior to issuance.

[1961 Code, § 22.15; Ord. 261]

Upon the filing of every application for a regular permit hereunder accompanied by the inspection fee, it shall be the duty of the Building Official to investigate the premises to determine whether the proposed trailer park site conforms to the provisions of this chapter.

The Building Official shall submit such application and his report thereon to the Health Department and the Fire Department.

157.50. Issuance dependent on approval by Health Department and Fire Department.

[1961 Code, § 22.16; Ord. 261]

Before a permit can be issued, a written approval of the proposed trailer park must be received from the Health Department and the Fire Department.

Subchapter 5. Permit for Single Auto House Trailer

157.60. Keeping trailers on property outside authorized trailer camps prohibited.

[1961 Code, § 22.17; Ord. 261]

It shall be unlawful for any person whether or not in return for rent or other compensation, to allow, suffer or permit any trailer as defined by this section to be placed, kept or maintained on any land owned or controlled by him, excepting in any auto house trailer camp for which a permit has been issued by the Building Official, or except as hereinafter provided.

157.61. Exceptions.

[1961 Code, § 22.18; Ord. 261; Ord. 424; Ord. 531]

Section 157.60 shall not apply under the following circumstances:

(A) Temporary storage. A trailer may be temporarily stored for a period not to exceed four days.

(B) Storage. In the case of a trailer stored on any premises and not used for sleeping or living purposes, and further provided that such trailer is stored only in the side yard or rear yard as defined by the zoning regulations in the Unified Development Code, or within a completely enclosed building and that no portion of the trailer is closer to the adjoining street than the immediately adjacent part of the building.

(C) Property owners, and the like in certain zones. An owner, or occupant, or occupants of a lot in the R-1, R-2, R-3 or R-P zones of the city may allow not more than one auto house trailer to be placed, kept and maintained on such lot under the following terms and conditions:

(1) The owner of an unimproved lot in such zones, who intends in good faith to immediately commence and diligently process the erection of a dwelling house on the lot, may keep and retain one auto house trailer on such lot for living purposes, provided that such trailer shall be connected to the existing sewage disposal facilities and provided that he shall first have secured a permit to place and maintain the auto house trailer on the lot from the Building Official of the city. The Building Official shall issue such owner a permit to place and maintain the auto house trailer on the lot for a period of 90 days, and may if the owner has shown substantial progress in the erection of the building, extend the permit for two additional periods of not to exceed 30 days each.

(2) A bona fide nonpaying guest of an owner, or occupant of a lot shall be permitted to keep and maintain a single family auto house trailer on any lot in the aforementioned zones of the city under the following terms and conditions:

(a) That such trailer shall be used solely for the purpose of providing sleeping accommodations and no cooking or eating shall be done in the trailer, and the toilet and sanitary facilities of the trailer shall be sealed off so that they cannot be used during the period of its stay on the lot.

(b) That if the auto house trailer shall be kept and maintained on the lot for a period in excess of four days, the owner shall secure a permit from the Building Official of the city to keep and maintain the trailer on the lot for a period not to exceed 30 days. The Building Official shall issue only one such permit for any lot at any one time and shall not issue a permit for the maintenance of any auto house trailer on any one lot for a period of 30 days following the expiration of a prior permit for 30 days.

157.62. Fee to accompany application for permit.

[1961 Code, § 22.19; Ord. 261; Ord. 665]

Each application for a permit for a single auto house trailer as provided for herein shall be accompanied by a fee as established by resolution of the City Council.

157.63. Revocation of permit.

[1961 Code, § 22.20; Ord. 261]

The Building Official is hereby authorized in the exercise of a reasonable discretion to revoke any permit issued pursuant to this subchapter if, after due investigation, he determines that the holder thereof has violated any of the provisions of this subchapter or that the auto house trailer is being maintained in an unsanitary or unsafe manner or is a nuisance. Written notice of such revocation shall be given either by personal delivery thereof to the person to be notified, or by depositing such notice in the United States mail in a sealed envelop, postage prepaid, addressed to such person at the address which appears on the records of the Building Official pertaining thereto.

Subchapter 6. Special Events

157.75. Parking and maintenance of trailers.

[1961 Code, § 22.21; Ord. 276]

The city may allow and permit the parking and maintenance of trailers on city-owned property during a period of time commencing one week before the opening of the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival and a week following the close thereof during each year or at such other times as the City Council may designate.

157.76. Regulation and direction by Health Department.

[1961 Code, § 22.22; Ord. 276]

The parking and maintenance of trailers on city-owned property during the period described in § 157.75 of this subchapter shall be under the regulation and direction of the Health Department of the city and shall be subject to inspection and control by the Health Department or any other city department so that at all times such trailers and the area in which they are permitted and allowed to park are maintained in a safe and sanitary condition.