Los Angeles Cracks Down on Wild House Parties with New Ordinance

Los Angeles has had its share of raucous house parties, but it seems those days are over. L.A. City Council voted 15-0 on an ordinance that imposes escalating fines on homeowners and party hosts who let their soirees get out of hand.

According to Dailey News, the motion was introduced by Councilmember David Ryu, whose fourth district includes the Hollywood Hills, a neighborhood chockfull of mansions suitable for a rager. Ryu specified via a release that they’re not talking small barbecues or family gatherings.

“These are massive events with cover fees and throngs of people tossing cigarette butts in fire prone areas. It’s reckless, it’s irresponsible—and it stops today,” Ryu said.

The fines begin at $100, but can scale all the way up to $8,000 or include criminal charges for repeat offenders. These fines can be issued to both the homeowner or the host of the party, if it turns out the homeowner rented a space to someone else for the purpose of said party. Additionally, some offenders will be required to attach a violation notice to their front door for a month. The list of offenses includes loud noises, blocking the public right of way, public drinking, public urination or defecation, providing alcohol to minors, vandalism, trespassing, fights, selling alcohol without a license, and littering.

The ordinance was supported by several community organizations and residents, many of whom submitted complaints to the city detailing the parties and their aftermath. These complaints included having to call the police and fire department on epic parties attended by hundreds of people, concerns over fire hazards, frustration over party guests urinating in the streets and on their property, and post-party debris including used condoms, glass bottles, and marijuana paraphernalia. (Apparently, one alleged party host went by the name Marijuana Don.)

The ordinance still has to be signed by Mayor Eric Garcetti to go into effect, but given all the support its already garnered, it seems highly likely.

For a brief look back at one of the Hills’ most extreme and problematic parties, let’s remember those Yotta Life parties. Bastian and Maria Yotta held a series of parties at a 32-bedroom Hollywood Hills home owned by developer Danny Fitzgerald. The Yottas went so far as to plaster a poster of themselves and their golden retriever sitting in a palatial throne room on their garage door, which did not give their neighbors much peace of mind. A 2015 Hollywood Reporter article indicated the police had been called on the house over 90 times, with callers complaining about massive parties and public urination and, on at least one occasion, the attendance of an actual lion.

Fitzgerald frequently defended the Yotta Life parties and his right to rent his home to them. However, Fitzgerald would go on to sue Saudi prince Aziz al Saud in 2016, alleging that the prince’s parties caused thousands of dollars worth of damage.