Cal. Civ. Code § 36-7-9-7.5
Noncompliance with order to repair or rehabilitate unsafe building; civil penalties
Operative Text
Sec. 7.5. (a) This section applies to an order issued under section 5(a)(5) of this chapter for which a hearing was not requested as provided in section 7 of this chapter. (b) If the person to whom the order was issued fails or refuses to comply with the order within sixty (60) days or the time specified in the order, the enforcement authority may impose a civil penalty not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500). The enforcement authority shall give notice of the civil penalty to all persons with a known or recorded substantial property interest in the unsafe premises. (c) After a civil penalty is imposed under subsection (b), the enforcement authority may impose an additional civil penalty in an amount not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) every ninety (90) days if the person to whom the order was issued continues to fail or refuse to comply with the order. (d) If a civil penalty under this section is unpaid for more than fifteen (15) days after payment of the civil penalty is due, the civil penalty may be collected in the same manner as costs under section 13 or 13.5 of this chapter. The amount of the civil penalty that is collected shall be deposited in the unsafe building fund.
Indiana Code § 36-7-9-7.5 establishes a civil penalty framework for property owners who fail to comply with an order to repair or rehabilitate an unsafe building when no hearing was requested. If the responsible party does not act within 60 days (or the time specified in the order), the enforcement authority may impose an initial civil penalty of up to $2,500. After that, additional penalties of up to $1,000 can be added every 90 days for continued noncompliance, and any unpaid penalties may be collected through the same mechanisms used for other costs under the unsafe building statute, with collected amounts deposited into the unsafe building fund.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Ind. Code § 36-7-9-7.5, property owners and managers who receive a repair or rehabilitation order and do not request a hearing are subject to escalating civil penalties if they fail to act promptly. Compliant operators generally complete required repairs within the 60-day window (or the timeframe specified in the order) and maintain documentation of completed work to demonstrate compliance to the enforcement authority. Because penalties can compound every 90 days and unpaid amounts may be collected as a lien-like cost against the property, operators typically treat these orders as time-sensitive obligations and ensure all parties with a recorded property interest are kept informed of remediation progress.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Ind. Code § 36-7-9-7.5 provides a mechanism that can benefit tenants living in or near unsafe buildings by imposing financial consequences on property owners who ignore repair orders. When an enforcement authority imposes civil penalties under this section, it is required to notify all persons with a known or recorded substantial property interest in the unsafe premises, which can create a public record of noncompliance. Tenants who believe a property owner is ignoring an unsafe building order may consider contacting the local enforcement authority to inquire about the status of any outstanding orders, or reaching out to a tenant-rights organization for guidance on available options.
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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