University of Massachusetts Law Review Publication Ryan Griffith, How cities and fix dangerous properties and increase revenue, Daily Journal
Many properties have major building violations that are visible to the naked eye. Cities can abate these properties by red tagging them. Then, using Health and Safety Receiverships, codified at California Health and Safety Code sections 17980.6 & 17980.7, to rehabilitate and sell the property under court supervision.
However, what can cities do with properties that look acceptable, yet terrorize a neighborhood? These can be motels where numerous drug deals occur and violence is rampant. These nuisances can also take the shape of residential homes operating as unlicensed casinos that cause significant traffic into the night, drunken fights in the streets, and other neighborhood disturbances that deteriorate confidence in community leadership. To address these scenarios, the California legislature created two statutory schemes. These statutory schemes are codified at California Health and Safety Code § 11570 et seq. and Penal Code § 11225 et seq., and are known as the Drug and Red-Light Abatement Acts respectively.
