Cal. Civ. Code § 17991
California Health and Safety Code
Operative Text
(a) The sale or other transfer of property to a third party shall not render moot an administrative or judicial action or proceeding pursuant to this article, including an action under Section 17982, instituted by an enforcement agency, or a receiver on behalf of an enforcement agency, against the owner of record on the date a citation for, or other notice of, a violation of this part was issued. (b) In the event of any sale or other transfer of property to a third party during the period between the issuance of the notice of violation and the abatement of the violation, or any administrative or judicial actions related thereto, within five days after the sale or transfer occurs, the transferor shall record a Notice of Conveyance of Substandard Property with the county recorder where the property is located, identifying the name and address of the buyer or transferee and executed with a signature that the information is true and correct, under penalty of perjury. (c) In the event of any sale of other transfer of property to a third party during the period between the issuance of the notice of violation and the abatement of the violation, or any administrative or judicial actions related thereto, the transferor shall provide all of the following information to the enforcement agency within five days after the sale or transfer occurs: (1) If the seller or transferor is not an individual person, the name, address, and driver’s license number or identification card number of each individual who has an interest in excess of 5 percent in the entity which is selling or transferring the property. (2) If the buyer or transferee is an individual person, the name, address, and driver’s license number or identification number of that individual. (3) If the buyer or transferee is not an individual person, the name, address, and driver’s license number or identification card number of each individual who has an interest in excess of 5 percent in the entity that is the buyer or transferee of the property.
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 17991 establishes that selling or transferring a property does not extinguish an ongoing enforcement action or proceeding that was initiated against the owner of record at the time a violation notice was issued. When a property changes hands while a violation remains unresolved, the party transferring the property must record a Notice of Conveyance of Substandard Property with the county recorder within five days of the transfer, signed under penalty of perjury. That same transferring party must also supply the enforcement agency with identifying information—including names, addresses, and driver's license or ID numbers—for individuals holding more than a 5% interest in either the transferring or receiving entity, or for the individual buyer or seller if the parties are natural persons.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating under an active notice of violation should be aware that § 17991 keeps enforcement proceedings alive even if the property is sold or otherwise conveyed before the violation is abated. A compliant operator who transfers such a property generally records the required Notice of Conveyance of Substandard Property with the county recorder within the five-day window and simultaneously delivers the required ownership and identification details to the enforcement agency. Maintaining organized records of entity ownership percentages and individual identification documents helps ensure that the disclosures required under § 17991 can be completed accurately and on time.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Cal. Health & Safety Code § 17991, tenants living in a property with an unresolved code violation have a measure of protection: a sale or transfer of that property cannot be used to shut down an enforcement action that was already underway. If a property is sold while violations remain open, tenants can inquire with the local enforcement agency to confirm whether the required Notice of Conveyance of Substandard Property was recorded and whether the transferor provided the ownership disclosures mandated by § 17991. Tenants who believe these obligations were not met may raise that issue with the enforcement agency or consult a tenant-rights organization to understand what options may be available.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 11, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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