ICE
You should be making lots of money for the city
It is a criminal offense to violate California’s building codes
The building standards (regulations) in the California Building Standards Code in Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations are authorized by various state laws that charge specific state agencies with the responsibility of developing the Title 24 provisions for adoption by the Building Standards Commission.
Many state laws establish criminal penalties for violations. Additionally, these state laws extend the criminal penalties to violations of the regulations adopted to implement the state law.
California State Housing Law (SHL) in Health and Safety Code (HSC), Division13, Part 1.5 commencing with Section 17910, charges the Department of Housing and Community Development with the task of developing the Title 24 provisions (excluding fire and panic safety) applicable to the construction of hotels, motels, lodginghouses, apartments and dwellings. Section17995 within the SHL establishes penalties for violation of the SHL and Title 24 provisions based on the SHL. HSC Section 17995 reads:
“Any person who violates any of the provisions of this part, the building standards published in the State Building Standards Code relating to the provisions of this part, or any other rule or regulation promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this part is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000) or by imprisonment not exceeding six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.” Accordingly, any violation of Title 24 shown as an HCD-1 adoption in the Matrix Adoption Tables of Title 24 is punishable as a misdemeanor.
The SHL also charges the State Fire Marshal (SFM) with the responsibility of developing the Title 24 provisions relating to fire and panic safety in hotels, motels, lodginghouses, apartments and dwellings. A violation of any Title 24 provision shown as adopted by the SFM that is implementing the SHL is punishable under HSC Section 17995 is punishable as a misdemeanor.
Another example of a criminal penalty may be found in Health and
Safety Code, Division 12, Part 2, Chapter 1, which establishes the responsibility for the State Fire Marshal to develop building standards for fire alarms, egress systems, and public address system backup in specific buildings, and for buildings located
in hazardous fire areas and or urban wildland interface areas.
Section 13112 therein establishes that any violation of the chapter or building standards adopted pursuant to the chapter is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) or more than five hundred dollars ($500), or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both.
For additional study of criminal penalties for violations of Title 24, read HSC Sections 13199, 13190.4, 18700, and 19997 at
www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html.
Remember that the application of penalties is generally limited to violations of that segment of law (Division, Part, Chapter, etc.) where the penalties are established. Further, the penalties are limited to the building standards adopted to implement that
segment of law. There are building standards within Title 24 that are implementing state laws that do not provide for criminal penalties.
