Pastore

BACKGROUND

The County of Santa Cruz (County) issued an order on April 9, 2014, to abate a nuisance on certain property of which plaintiff Pastore was identified as the “current record owner/property manager/agent of Angela Young,” the “former owner of record.” Plaintiff apparently filed an administrative appeal, resulting in an order on July 24, 2014, by an administrative hearing officer, who sustained the finding that a public nuisance existed on the property “as a result of a violation of Santa Cruz County Code Chapter 7.126 [cultivation of cannabis without complying with all of the environmental requirements of Title 16, specifically, Santa Cruz County Code sections 16.20.210(a) and 16.22.160(b)].”1 The officer directed that plaintiff remove all cannabis plants within 10 days, failing which “the County Planning Director, or her designee, is hereby authorized to cause the abatement of the public nuisance in accordance with Santa Cruz County Code section 1.14.030 and shall report on the abatement costs pursuant to Santa Cruz County Code section 1.14.050.” Under the last-cited section of the county code, a special assessment could be imposed on the property for some or all of the…