By Matt Cortina
An Orange County Superior Court judge determined in a tentative ruling on Monday, June 27 that a sober living home in Talega was not operating as a business, but did violate the homeowners’ associations rules regarding nuisances. Judge Craig Griffin ruled the sober living home could continue to operate as long as it requested a property management license from the city and adhered to the neighborhood’s noise, smoking and conduct regulations.
Lawyers for the co-plaintiffs—the city of San Clemente and David Hurwitz, a Talega resident next to whom a sober living home is operating—asked Griffin to order an immediate injunction that would’ve required the sober living home (run by Sober Network Properties LLC, the defendant) to stop operating. Griffin denied that request.
The judge ruled that the plaintiffs had not yet proven that Sober Network Properties are violating homeowners’ association codes by operating a business out of their Talega residence. Court records indicate the plaintiffs argued that because the home’s manager had received payment from Sobertec (a partner group of Sober Network Properties), that it was operating a business. However, the judge ruled that it would be unjust to qualify the home as a business just because rent is paid or tenants have special living arrangements—many other homes in Talega are leased, or those “types of restrictions are frequently imposed by parents, roommates and other ‘family’ groups who may permissibly live in the neighborhood.”
“Payment for use of a home is not sufficient to establish operation of a business. Homeowners are free to lease their homes to tenants and receive compensation for that rental. It does not make the home, itself, a ‘business,’” the ruling continued.
However, the judge ruled that Sober Network Properties must file for a business license within 15 days. The key is that the home itself is not a business, but SNP is managing property in the city, including the sober living home. For that, it needs to get a license.
“They need to apply for a business license because they’re operating a business in the city. I don’t think there’s any question about that,” Griffin said.
A lawyer for Joseph Scolari argued that because SNP is based in San Juan Capistrano, all it needs to file for is a property manager’s license in San Clemente.
A second hearing is schedule for August 15 to determine further regulations and living arrangements. Many were looking to this case as a harbinger for how cities regulate sober living homes. Those recovering from alcohol and drug abuse are considered “disabled” and because of the Americans with Disabilities Act, cities and neighborhood associations cannot ban them from living in their area. As many sober living homes operate out of multi-room luxury homes in Southern California, it has caused their neighbors to complain about what they perceive as negative impacts—smoke, noise and safety issues.
The city of Dana Point filed two lawsuits last week against treatment facilities, including one owned by Sobertec. Their justification is that the homes are creating an undue nuisance, and do not have necessary state licensure.
The judge acknowledged in his ruling that the issue of regulating sober living homes is very delicate.
“The question of when and how a ‘group home’ crosses over from a home to a business is complicated and cannot, at this point, be determined as a matter of law,” the ruling read.
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