Penalties for violations.

Riverside Municipal Code § 1.01.110

in effect

1.01.110 - Penalties for violations. A. It is unlawful for any person to violate any provision or to fail to comply with any of the requirements or provisions of this Code heretofore or hereafter enacted or the provisions of any code adopted by reference by this Code. Any person violating any of such provisions or failing to comply with any of the mandatory requirements of this Code, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, unless such violation or failure to comply is specifically declared to be an infraction by other provisions of this Code. Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Code, any such violation constituting a misdemeanor may, in the discretion of the City Attorney, be charged and prosecuted as an infraction. Notwithstanding this section and as an alternative to criminal prosecution, all violations of this Code are subject to the Administrative Code Enforcement remedies set forth at Chapter 1.17 and any other administrative proceeding now or hereafter authorized under this Code. B. Any person convicted of an infraction under the provisions of this Code, or any code adopted by reference by this Code, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $250.00. C. Any person convicted of a misdemeanor shall be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000.00, or by imprisonment in the County jail for a period not exceeding six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. D. Each such person shall be guilty of a separate offense for each and every day during any portion of which any violation of or failure to comply with any provision of this Code, or the provisions of any code adopted by reference by this Code, is committed, continued or permitted by such person and shall be punishable accordingly. E. In addition to the penalties provided by this section or elsewhere in this Code, or in any code adopted by reference by this Code, any condition caused or permitted to exist in violation of any of the provisions of this Code, or the provisions of any code adopted by reference by this Code, shall be deemed a public nuisance and may be abated by the City, and each day such condition continues shall be regarded as a new and separate offense. F. In any civil action commenced by the City to abate a nuisance, to enjoin a violation of any provision of this Code or any provision of any code adopted by reference by this Code, to collect a civil penalty imposed either by this Code or by State or federal law, or to collect a civil debt owing to the City, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover in any such action reasonable attorneys' fees and costs of suit. Pursuant to Government Code § 38773.5(b), the recovery of attorneys' fees by the prevailing party is limited to individual actions or proceedings in which the City elects, at the initiation of that individual action or proceeding, to seek recovery of its own attorneys' fee. In no action or special proceeding shall an award of attorneys' fees to a prevailing party exceed the amount of reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the City in the action or proceeding. G. Any person who violates any provision or fails to comply with any requirement or provision of this Code heretofore or hereafter enacted or any provision of any code adopted by reference by this Code shall be liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000.00 for each violation. Where the conduct constituting a violation is of a continuing nature, each day of such conduct is a separate and distinct violation. In determining the amount of the civil penalty, the court shall consider all relevant circumstances, including, but not limited to, the extent of harm caused by the conduct constituting a violation, the nature and persistence of such conduct, the length of time over which the conduct occurred, the assets, liabilities and net worth of the person, whether corporate or individual, and any corrective action taken by the defendant. The civil penalty prescribed by this subsection shall be assessed and recovered and a civil action brought by the City Attorney in any court of competent jurisdiction. The civil penalty prescribed by this subsection may be sought in addition to injunctive relief, specific performance or any other remedy, provided, however, that a civil penalty shall not be sought for any violation for which a criminal prosecution has been commenced. H. A violation of any section of this Code which is punishable as an infraction shall be charged and prosecuted as an infraction, provided that for the second or any additional violation of said section within a one year period, the City Attorney at his or her discretion may charge and prosecute the matter as a misdemeanor. (Ord. 7182 § 1, 2012; Ord. 6872 § 1, 2006; Ord. 6349 § 1, 2, 3, 1997; Ord. 6220 § 1, 1995; Ord. 5258 § 1, 1985; Prior code § 1.8)

Source: City of Riverside, California, Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ca/riverside/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_TIT1GEPR_CH1.01COAD_1.01.110PEVIFetched: 11/1/2026