Local ordinances: administrative fines or penalties.

Assembly Member Hart's local government enforcement measure provides California municipalities with new tools to collect administrative fines through court judgments and property liens. The legislation allows local agencies to file certified copies of final administrative orders with superior courts for immediate entry of judgment after exhausting administrative procedures and judicial review periods. This filing mechanism applies specifically to violations involving unlicensed cannabis operations, substandard housing conditions, rental habitability requirements, and fire safety regulations.

The bill establishes a framework for local agencies to secure unpaid penalties through property liens, provided their ordinances meet specific procedural requirements. These include serving violation notices, allowing correction periods, and exhausting administrative and judicial reviews before recording liens. Property owners must receive at least 20 days' notice before lien recordation, with extended notification periods for out-of-state and international service. Once recorded, these liens carry the same force and priority as court judgments.

For cannabis-related violations, local agencies may impose immediate fines up to $1,000 per violation and $10,000 per day on both property owners and business operators. However, the ordinance must provide correction periods when tenants are responsible and rental agreements explicitly prohibit cannabis activities, provided owners had no prior knowledge of the violations. The legislation preserves existing administrative review rights while adding these collection mechanisms to complement other enforcement options available under state law.