Cal. Civ. Code § 36-7-9-19
Civil forfeitures
Operative Text
Sec. 19. (a) A court acting under section 17 of this chapter may impose a civil penalty not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) against any person if the conditions of section 18 of this chapter are met. The penalty imposed may not be substantially less than the cost of complying with the order, unless that cost exceeds two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500). The effective date of the penalty may be postponed for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days, after which the court may order the penalty reduced or stricken if it is satisfied that all work necessary to fully comply with the order has been done. (b) On request of the enforcement authority the court shall enter a judgment in the amount of the penalty. If there is more than one (1) party defendant, the penalty is separately applicable to each defendant. The amount of a penalty that is collected shall be deposited in the unsafe building fund. As added by Acts 1981, P.L.309, SEC.28. Amended by P.L.169-2006, SEC.68.
Under Ind. Code § 36-7-9-19, a court overseeing an unsafe building enforcement action may impose a civil penalty of up to $5,000 on any person who meets the conditions set out in the preceding statutory sections. The penalty generally cannot be set substantially below the cost of bringing the property into compliance, unless that cost exceeds $2,500. Courts have some flexibility to delay the penalty's effective date by up to 30 days and may reduce or eliminate it if all required remediation work is completed within that window.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers subject to an unsafe building order under Ind. Code § 36-7-9-19 should be aware that a court can impose a civil penalty up to $5,000, and that penalty is typically benchmarked against the actual cost of compliance. Operators who act promptly to complete all work required by the order may be positioned to seek a reduction or elimination of the penalty during the 30-day postponement period the statute allows. When multiple parties are named as defendants, the penalty applies separately to each, so co-owners or co-managers each face their own potential exposure.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Ind. Code § 36-7-9-19 establishes a civil penalty mechanism that courts can use against property owners who fail to comply with unsafe building orders, which can be a meaningful enforcement tool in habitability situations. Tenants living in properties subject to such orders may find it useful to contact their local enforcement authority to understand whether a penalty action is underway or could be initiated. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid offices can help explain how this provision interacts with other remedies, such as raising a housing code violation as a defense in an eviction proceeding.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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