Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council continues HUD fee‑waiver request, asks CLA to contact HUD
Summary
A contractor for HUD asked the council to waive a $100 administrative fee on a $300 assessment for a HUD‑owned property. Building and Safety warned the waiver could set a citywide precedent; the council continued the item 30 days and asked the City Administrative/Law office to communicate with HUD directly.
A representative for Golden Feather Realty, Tammy Mason, asked the Los Angeles City Council on Dec. 14 to waive $100 in administrative fees tied to a $300 assessment on a property the Department of Housing and Urban Development acquired. Mason said HUD would cover the actual remediation work and sought relief only from the administrative charge.
Angel Coin of the Department of Building and Safety told the council the administrative fee at issue is $100 and urged caution, saying that waiving it for HUD could create a policy precedent: HUD might seek a 40% waiver on future assessments, which would represent substantial sums for the department.
Council members pressed for clarity on whether the request came from HUD or from a contractor with power of attorney. Councilmembers also asked the City Administrative/Law (CLA) office to make direct contact with HUD rather than rely only on the requester’s representative.
Mr. Sornage (who moved the continuance) framed the matter as a broader policy issue rather than a single dollar amount, noting that while $100 is small, citywide policy on waiving fees could have larger fiscal effects. The council agreed to continue the item for 30 days to permit the Housing and Community Redevelopment Committee and CLA to review the policy implications and confirm HUD’s official position.
The item was continued to a date 30 days hence with the direction that CLA coordinate with HUD’s Washington office and that staff examine whether a standing policy on waiving administrative fees for federal or other agency‑owned properties is appropriate.
Next steps: council staff will ask CLA to contact HUD and the Housing and Community Redevelopment Committee will consider the broader policy question in the interim.
