La Mirada Municipal Code Ch. 9.132 Maintaining and Registering Vacant or Abandoned Commercial Properties…

For purposes of this section, a property or storefront shall be defined as vacant or abandoned if it is:

(a) Unoccupied and unsecured; or

(b) Unoccupied and secured by boarding or other similar means; or

(c) Unoccupied and has multiple structural or property maintenance related municipal code violations; or

(d) Unoccupied for over thirty consecutive days.

For the purpose of this section, a commercial property or storefront shall be any area within a building that may be separately owned, or individually leased or rented for any purpose other than for a residential use listed in Section 21.18.020 of this code.

(Ord. 698 § 2 (part), 2017).

The owner of a vacant or abandoned commercial property or storefront shall, within thirty days after it has become vacant or abandoned, register the commercial property or storefront with the city on a form provided by the city. The completed form shall be filed with the City Clerk. The form shall:

(a) Describe the methods by which the owner has secured the commercial property or storefront against unauthorized entry;

(b) Provide a contact phone number for the commercial property or storefront owner or party responsible for maintenance of the commercial property or storefront;

(c) State the most recent legal use of the commercial property or storefront;

(d) State the square footage of the commercial property or storefront;

(e) Declare any future plans for the commercial property or storefront; and

(f) Provide such other information as the city may require.

A registration fee in such amount as established by resolution of the City Council, and covering the costs of administering the provisions of this chapter, shall be paid annually.

(Ord. 698 § 2 (part), 2017).

All vacant or abandoned commercial properties and storefronts within the city shall be kept free of weeds, dry brush, dead vegetation, trash, junk, debris, building materials, any accumulation of papers or documents, except those required by federal, state, or local law, and discarded personal items, including but not limited to, furniture, clothing, appliances, printed materials, or any other items that contribute to the appearance that the property is abandoned or that constitute evidence of vacancy.

All vacant or abandoned commercial properties and storefronts shall be maintained free of graffiti, tagging, or similar markings by removing or painting over the graffiti with an exterior grade paint that matches the color of the exterior of the structure. The owner shall, within twenty-four hours of being notified or becoming aware of the presence of graffiti, cause the same to be removed or painted over, as described above.

Visible front and side yards shall be landscaped and maintained according to the standards set forth in this municipal code and applicable land use approvals for the property in question. Maintenance required for visible front and side yards also includes, but is not limited to, regular watering, cutting, pruning, and mowing of landscape and removal of all trimmings resulting therefrom.

The property shall be posted with the name and twenty-four hour contact phone number of the local property management company or responsible party in a manner sufficient to allow an individual to contact and notify the local property management company or responsible party of any problems or concerns regarding the property. The posting shall be placed on the interior of a first floor window facing the street to the front of the property so that it is visible from the street, or secured to the exterior of the building or structure facing the street to the front of the property so that it is visible from the street.

(Ord. 698 § 2 (part), 2017).

Los Angeles County Sheriffs’ Deputies, and La Mirada Public Safety and Code Enforcement Officers are authorized to enforce the provisions of this chapter, respond to complaints of violations, act on observations of violations, and to issue citations to persons found in violation of any of the provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. 698 § 2 (part), 2017).

Each and every person, firm, partnership, or corporation violating any provision of this chapter is guilty of an infraction punishable by an administrative or criminal citation, or both, and subject to those fines listed in Municipal Code Section 1.08.090 . Each and every such person, firm, partnership, or corporation shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each and every day or any portion thereof during which any violation of any of the provisions of this chapter is committed, continued, or permitted by such person, firm, partnership, or corporation, and shall be deemed punishable therefor as provided in this section.

(Ord. 698 § 2 (part), 2017).