The City’s aggressive pursuit of leaf blowers in Santa Monica seems to be paying off – cases were down in 2016 and in the beginning of this year. At the moment, 86 leaf blower cases are under investigation, according to an information item posted on the City’s website.

Of 163 cases opened during the first quarter this year, 8 tickets have been written and 85 remain under investigation. The rest of the cases have been closed because the violation couldn’t be verified (the officer has to actually catch the leaf blower in the act).

It is illegal to operate any kind of leaf blower in the City whether gas, electric or battery powered. The local law allows Code Enforcement to cite either the property owner, management company, landscaping company or the operator. In practice, it’s usually the man or the woman caught holding the blower who gets hit with the $500 fine.

That’s because of a 2015 case where a property owner was written the ticket after an officer observed a gardener operating a leaf blower on the property. The property owner appealed the citation and won because the City couldn’t prove he knew the blower was being used.

Read More: http://smdp.com/city-crackdown-silences-leaf-blowers/160972

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https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/May-2017/05_17_2017_More_than_3500_Violations_of_Santa_Monica_Leaf_Blower_Ban_Reopted_in_Three_Years.html