LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Los Angeles residents who like to throw big, loud parties may be in for a real bummer today as the City Council is poised to crack down on them when it votes on a revised ordinance that would create escalating fines and penalties for so-called ``party houses''.
The revised ordinance was drawn up by the City Attorney's Office in response to a motion introduced by Councilman David Ryu, whose Fourth District includes the Hollywood Hills, where many nuisance party houses have been reported.
The revised ordinance was approved by the Planning and Land Use Management Committee and approved in January by the Public Safety Committee.
If approved by the City Council, the measure would widen the type of behavior that could result in a property owner or manager being fined or facing a criminal charge, create escalating fines up to $8,000 for repeat violators and require a public posting for 30 days on homes found in violation.
Party houses are typically rented out for parties or a cover fee is charged at the door, according to Ryu's office, and typically create excessive noise and other headaches for neighbors, as well as pose dangers, since they are often located in areas with narrow, winding roads and high fire risk.
``In my district, only a small handful of homeowners are responsible for these massive and unruly parties -- the vast majority are reasonable and respectful of their neighbors,'' Ryu said in November when the Planning and Land Use Committee approved a draft of the revised ordinance.
``It's the small handful that make this ordinance so sorely needed,'' he said. ``We are talking about people who use their homes to throw all-night events, or rent them out to strangers who run de facto nightclubs out of otherwise quiet neighborhoods -- threatening the peace and safety of everyone around them.''
Photo by Brandon Morgan on Unsplash