Blog

Guest author Pete Roque of 4 Leaf Inc explains how different communities structure their code enforcement team into different divisions. Code enforcement is a great way to ensure that your community is not overtaken (or ruined) by unsightly buildings, houses, activities, or businesses.

Receivership is a court-ordered remedy that puts a disputed asset—be it real property or a troubled business—under the control of a third-party neutral receiver. When applied strategically, the receivership remedy can be very effective. Our team has been able to solve a wide range of complex cases that required creativity, compliance, and community-minded leadership.

Recent data from ATTOM's April 2025 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report highlights significant property foreclosure increases in several states, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to address the resulting public health and safety concerns.

Some of the most effective interventions for unsafe, deteriorating properties begin with a legal mechanism designed to protect public health. The health and safety receivership remedy is a powerful tool for addressing substandard properties that pose serious risks to public welfare. But successful receivership outcomes often depend on more than legal authority—they require compassionate collaboration with homeowners or tenants who may be struggling with complex challenges.

Health and Safety Receiverships are a remedy for distressed properties, which are known as a public nuisance under the law. In a receivership, a receiver is appointed by the court to revitalize nuisance properties after a lawsuit has been filed against the property owner. In these situations under public nuisance law, the receiver will often work with local law enforcement and fire departments until the situation is resolved.

A successful health & safety receivership restores order to a long-neglected residential property. After years of unresolved code violations and deteriorating conditions, a single family home in Fresno is now secure, cleaned out, and poised for sale—thanks to the use of a health and safety receivership.

While there is no specific health and safety receivership statute in Arizona, courts have shown flexibility in using existing receivership laws to protect public safety.

In August 2023, the City of Citrus Heights filed a petition in Sacramento County Superior Court to appoint a receiver for a severely substandard single-family home. This case highlights how cities across California, Arizona, Nevada, and beyond can use Health & Safety Receiverships to address dangerous, abandoned, or uninhabitable properties that threaten public health and neighborhood stability.