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Council approves broader "responsible person" definition for code enforcement; critics warn of burden on managers
Summary
The Yucaipa City Council on Sept. 8 approved an amendment (Ordinance No. 463) expanding who can be cited for property code violations — adding renters, contractors, caregivers and property managers to the city's definition of a "responsible person."
The Yucaipa City Council on Sept. 8 approved an amendment to the city's code (Ordinance No. 463) that expands the legal definition of the “responsible person” for property code violations, allowing code enforcement to cite bystanders beyond property owners, including renters, contractors, caregivers and property management firms.
Council discussion and staff presentations focused on real-world enforcement limits under the current code and on examples where enforcement could not reach the party actually causing a nuisance. Trevor Benson, the city’s Public Safety Manager, told the council: "In our current law, our current law restricts our code enforcement and citing officials ability to actually enforce the law against the correct person." Staff and the city attorney said the change aims to close those gaps to allow more targeted enforcement actions.
The council heard public comment from residents and property…
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