L.A.’S slumlord crackdown
DEPARTMENTS
DISPATCHES
A Slumlord Task Force, made up of the Los Angeles City Fire Department, the L.A. Building Department, the L.A. County Health Department, and the city attorney’s office, successfully closed a multiple dwelling unit for repeated fire, safety and health violations.
Edward Vazquez, Jr., former owner of the Parkway Hotel in L.A. was convicted on 12 counts of fire, safety, health, and building hazards, sentenced to 90 days in jail, given fines totalling $1600, and put on six years probation on condition that he not own, manage, operate or lease any property without consent of the court.
“Everything you could possibly imagine being wrong with the five-story dwelling was wrong,” said Battalion Chief Tom McMaster. “There were no fire extinguishers, no air shaft enclosures, inoperable fire doors, no hallway lighting, broken windows, leaking roof…,” and the list goes on.
The Slumlord Task Force has been in operation for two years, said McMaster, and is assigned to investigate landlords having a history of chronic, repeated building offenses. The task force meets once a week and discusses what actions to take against landlords operating buildings with life-threatening conditions.
The Parkway Hotel incident represents the task force’s first successful attempt at getting a building legally declared unsafe.
There were a total of 28 violations filed by the City Attorney Housing Enforcement Unit. Deputy City Attorney Gwen Ryder, the Housing Unit Authority attorney assigned to the case, allowed Vazquez to enter “no contest” pleas to 12 counts and agreed to dismiss the other charges. —FE
