Council refers disputed property fencing assessment to Public Works after agreement to waive administrative fee

The Los Angeles City Council on Sept. 21 referred a dispute over an assessment for fencing and barricading at 1215 West 41st Street to the Public Works Committee after staff and the property owner’s representative reached a procedural accommodation.

Attorney Cynthia Cooper addressed the council on behalf of Tony Boone, agent for the recorded owner James Reynolds. Cooper said her client had contracted with ABZ Construction Company, which agreed to perform repairs and the barricading work; the contractor failed to perform and later sought payment. Cooper said the owner paid to resolve an arbitration award for work not completed and argued the owner should not bear the administrative assessment tied to the city’s abatement action.

A Department of Building and Safety representative told the council the department would agree to waive the 40% administrative charge given the owner’s documented contractor dispute. Councilmember Janice Perry framed the waiver and an installment arrangement as items to be referred for committee action; the council agreed to refer the matter to the Public Works Committee forthwith so staff from Public Works could finalize an installment-repayment plan.

Why it matters: The referral preserves the owner’s right to a final resolution while recognizing the department’s concession about administrative costs in light of the contractor dispute. The committee will consider whether and how to confirm the assessment and any repayment schedule.

Next steps: The council took no final action on the assessment itself at the meeting; the item was referred to the Public Works Committee for resolution with the added language about the administrative fee waiver and installment arrangements.

Ending: The council instructed staff to work with Public Works to finalize the installment plan and return with committee recommendations.