November 5, 2024 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Venice Stakeholders Association Move Forward With Homeless Lawsuit Against The City

The Venice Stakeholders Association has filed a lawsuit over illegal camping at Venice Beach. Photo courtesy Venice Stakeholders Association.
The Venice Stakeholders Association has filed a lawsuit over illegal camping at Venice Beach. Photo courtesy Venice Stakeholders Association.

Venice homeowners and residents who filed a lawsuit accusing Los Angeles city officials of neglecting a variety of problems they link to transients who camp overnight at the nearby beach, announced Wednesday a judge has allowed their case to move forward.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gregory Alarcon this morning rejected efforts by city and county attorneys to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the Venice Stakeholders Association, saying the plaintiffs may have a case when it comes to nuisance-abating steps that do not infringe on the rights of the homeless or are “not necessarily tied to immunities or constitution violations.”

Alarcon wrote in his denial that “the pleading is sufficiently broad in scope” so that it could cover “simple issues such as cleanup, other than more concerning issues of law enforcement or homeless rights.”

Rob Wilcox, spokesman for the City Attorney’s Office, said the city “strongly” disagrees with the judge’s ruling and there are plans to “seek immediate appellate review.”

Mark Ryavec, president of the Venice Stakeholders Association, said he and other plaintiffs are “heartened by the court’s support of our position that the city and county have a legal responsibility to abate the nuisance, which they are allowing to exist in the Venice Beach Recreation Area.”

“Just like all other owners who are responsible for their property, the city and county need to be held responsible to residents for the harm we experience,” Ryavec said.

In their initial 2014 complaint, Ryavec and other plaintiffs contend that during the previous five years, “on almost a daily basis,” the city and county “have failed to control and maintain” the Venice beach area and surrounding areas by allowing “transients and other individuals” to bring baggage, camping gear and personal belongings to the area at “all hours of the day and night.”

The complaint faulted the city for failing to enforce an ordinance that restricts people from setting up encampments to sleep overnight at the beach area, which is considered a park owned by the city and partly managed by the county.

The group’s attorney, Kristina Kropp, said today that while the stakeholder group has separately taken issue with transients camping overnight at the beach, the case moving forward today is not targeted at the homeless, but rather at the existence of the illegal activity and nuisance problems.

Kropp added there may be “different groups” that are the source of the troublesome activity, not just transients.

Ryavec said enforcing a revised version of the ordinance that restricts encampments at city parks “would address a significant aspect of the nuisance,” as would enforcing park curfews and drug laws, the city has “prosecutorial discretion,” which allows city officials to decide which laws they wish to enforce.

Mayor Eric Garcetti recently directed the city to suspend enforcement of that ordinance, and another one for sidewalks, that gives the city a process for removing items left on the street, including the encampments of the homeless.

Ryavec contends that unlike the street encampment ordinance, the law addressing encampments at city parks has not been the subject of legal challenges, so the city should not have suspended enforcement on it.

Ryavec said the group’s message to the city is that “this is a problem, you have to fix it.”

“Either they (the city) stop the nuisance, or they get to compensate us with a lot of money, and we can use that to pay for security,” Ryavec said.

Related Posts

The Willows: 30 Years Going Strong

November 5, 2024

November 5, 2024

Founded in 1994, The Willows Community School, located in Culver City, California, is a Developmental Kindergarten through 8th grade non-profit, co-educational...

Election Day Freebies and Discounts: Where to Eat, Drink, and Watch Election Results

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

From Free Doughnuts To Watch Parties, How To Unwind With Election Night Deals With this election day being one of...

Early Morning Call From Community Leads to Burglary Arrest in Culver City

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Police Respond To Suspicious Activity Call, Arrest Suspect With Pickaxe Culver City police arrested a man early Friday morning in...

Culver City Police Department is Prepared to Ensure Community Safety During Election Week

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Enhanced Patrols, Activated Emergency Center Ready, Culver City Voting Center is Open The Culver City Police Department has announced an...

Legendary Music Icon Quincy Jones Dies at 91 in Bel Air

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Celebrated Musician, Producer Leaves an Indelible Legacy By Dolores Quintana Legendary musician, music producer, film and television producer, composer of...

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Lays Off Longtime Archive and Library Staff

November 4, 2024

November 4, 2024

Downsizing and Restructuring Continue, Affecting Employees with Decades of Service By Dolores Quintana Last week, the Academy of Motion Picture...

LA County Opens 526 New Vote Centers for Early Voting, Announces Conditional Voting for Unregistered Residents

November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024

Metro LA Offers Free Rides on Election Day to Help Residents Get to the Polls Los Angeles County opened an...

New Aviation/Century Station Opens, Linking Metro’s C and K Lines

November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024

Metro’s Newest Station Paves the Way for Future LAX Transit Center The new Aviation/Century Station officially opened this week, marking...

H5N1 Detected in LA County Wastewater, Health Officials Urge Precautions for Residents

November 3, 2024

November 3, 2024

Los Angeles County Investigates Low-Level H5 Avian Flu Detected in Wastewater The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is...

Two Events in Culver City This Weekend: Bike Registration and Dance Performance

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

Put the Brakes on Bicycle Theft and Enjoy an Evening of Dance and Interactive Art The Culver City Police Department...

All You Need to Know to Attend the Dodgers Victory Parade Tomorrow in DTLA

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

World Champions and LA’s Team to Greet Angelenos After Win of NY Yankees The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that their...

Beverly Hills City Government Agrees to a Stipulated Judgment After Blocking Abortion Clinic Opening

November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

City to Implement Training, Oversight on Reproductive Rights Following Legal Settlement  California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a legal agreement...

Dia De Los Muertos 2024: Here’s Where To Celebrate The Holiday Tradition This Weekend

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

Los Angeles Has a Variety of Ways to Explore Latino Culture and Honor Ancestors Starting just after Halloween, Dia de...

(Video) Downtown L.A. Reacts to World Series Victory

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

The Dodgers Are World Series Champs For The Eighth Time https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTFtyDDKn/

Halloween Pre-Game Party Brings Chills and Spooky Thrills to The Rose Venice

October 31, 2024

October 31, 2024

Enjoy Halloween With Festive Cocktails, Appetizers, and a Costume Contest The Rose Venice in Venice is set to host a...