Riverside County "Responds" to UTA Letter

UTA's requests are under review

In response to Riverside County Ordinance No. 906 prohibiting commercial solicitation on all County Property, UTA’s Counsel, UTA’s Counsel, Phil Adleson, Esq., Adleson, Hess & Kelly wrote on July 25th to Rob Feld, the Executive Director of the Economic Development Agency. UTA’s letter stated; “It was my understanding from the discussion among the Supervisors present at the board meeting … that the authority to issue exemptions from the non-solicitation ordinance was delegated to the Economic Development Agency (“EDA”) with a goal of creating a temporary exemption for nonjudicial foreclosure sales currently held in front of the Historic Courthouse (so that expensive re-noticing of sales does not have to be done) and to find a permanent solution by making another public square location available for nondisclosure sales.” The letter concludes by requesting answers to the following:

• Has any new “public square” property  been identified?
• Has a temporary location (near the Historic Courthouse steps) been found?
  
• What is the procedure for applying for exemptions?
  
• To whom should requests for exemptions be directed?
  
• What is the “Effective Date” of Ordinance No. 906 from which the 90-day phase-in period runs?

(“County property” was very broadly defined and may include leased property and property leased by the county to others. The ordinance will become effective 30-days after the adoption of the ordinance by the Supervisors on June 7, 2011 and it has a 90-day phase-in period before it will be enforced (i.e. it becomes fully effective after October 5, 2011, unless extended.))

On August 25th, UTA received a response from the Office of Riverside County Counsel. It stated; “The information provided and questions presented in your letter are currently under review and we will be providing a response in the near future.” Phil Adleson stated; “This is tantamount to no response as time is running out on the Old Courthouse sale’s location or any county location in Riverside County.”

However, without any substantive response to UTA’s letter or discussions with interested parties regarding a new interim or permanent sales site, the county posted a notice regarding a temporary location.

Read the notice