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Page 26 — Property Management Quarterly — January 2018
gravity loads, slope stability, para-
pet height, overflow scupper loca-
tions, wind uplift, fire safety, occu-
pancy safety, waterproofing, water
retention and drainage, vegetation
performance, plant selection, irriga-
tion and adherence to an approved
maintenance plan.
Importantly, the initiative includes
certain exemptions. The green roof
requirements do not apply to:
• Buildings or building additions
for which completed building permit
applications or completed site plan
applications were submitted before
Jan. 1, 2018;
• Residential buildings or residen-
tial building additions for buildings
with heights less than or equal to
the greater of either 50 feet or four
stories;
• Commercial greenhouses located
at ground level;
• Temporary structures; and
• Air-supported structures.
When a building’s green roof space
is less than what is required accord-
ing to its gross floor area because of
a variance or exemption, the devel-
oper or property manager must make
a cash payment in lieu of meeting
the mandates of the initiative. The
payment amount is $25 per sf equal-
ing the unsatisfied percentage of
required green roof space.
Violations of the initiative are
enforced by officials of the Develop-
ment Services Division of the Com-
munity Planning and Development
Agency. A person convicted of a
violation may be assessed a fine up
to $999, imprisoned for up to one
year, or both. Each day a violation
or offense continues constitutes a
separate violation. If an enforcement
officer provides a cease-and-desist
notice, proceedings may be initiated
against the violator no sooner than
10 days after the date of notice for all
parties except the owner. ▲
Eby
is not satisfied with the decision,
the owner has the option to file a
second-level protest to the County
Board of Equalization by the dead-
line listed on the Assessor Notice
of Determination. A hearing is held
by the County Board of Equalization
and a neutral third-party hearing
officer makes a decision based on
evidence presented by the property
owner or owner’s agent and the
county appraiser. If not satisfied
with the results of the County Board
of Equalization protest, the property
owner can appeal the decision to the
State Board of Assessment Appeals,
District Court or Binding Arbitra-
tion within 30 days of receiving the
County Board of Equalization Notice
of Decision. Information on filing an
appeal to the State Board of Assess-
ment Appeals can be found on its
website.
If a property owner does not file
a protest by the June 1 deadline,
he may be eligible to file an abate-
ment petition and receive a refund
on taxes paid. Abatements can be
filed within two years after Jan. 1 of
the year following the year in which
the taxes were levied. The abate-
ment processes are similar to the
appeal process but with a lengthier
timeline. For example, if a property
owner suspects her property was
overvalued in 2015, the deadline to
file an abatement for the 2015 tax
year was Dec. 31, 2017. ▲
Diehl
period of vacancy, paying commis-
sions or improvement costs in con-
nection with a new tenant.
If the business terms of the exten-
sion are agreed upon in advance,
a landlord may have missed an
opportunity to obtain rents in line
with potentially more favorable cur-
rent market conditions. Where the
business terms of the extension are
to be agreed upon at a later date,
the parties might incur costs and
expenses in negotiating, determin-
ing and litigating those terms.
At the end of the day, a landlord
and tenant can, in most cases, find
their way to mutually agreeable
extension terms. ▲
Sessions
will have the depth, scale and tech-
nology capable of growing with you.
As your market becomes more com-
petitive, a good partner can handle
more responsibilities, allowing you
to focus on long-term goals instead
of daily facilities operations.
So, next time you’re ready to
upgrade your facilities services,
consider finding a facilities manage-
ment partner. It will probably cost
less than you think and will improve
not only your facilities but also your
ability to utilize the latest technolo-
gies, stay staffed, reduce overhead
and enhance every aspect of your
operations to boost your bottom
line.▲
Westlake
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