July 18, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

Venice Stakeholders Association Move Forward With Homeless Lawsuit Against The City

The Venice Stakeholders Association has filed a lawsuit over illegal camping at Venice Beach. Photo courtesy Venice Stakeholders Association.
The Venice Stakeholders Association has filed a lawsuit over illegal camping at Venice Beach. Photo courtesy Venice Stakeholders Association.

Venice homeowners and residents who filed a lawsuit accusing Los Angeles city officials of neglecting a variety of problems they link to transients who camp overnight at the nearby beach, announced Wednesday a judge has allowed their case to move forward.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gregory Alarcon this morning rejected efforts by city and county attorneys to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the Venice Stakeholders Association, saying the plaintiffs may have a case when it comes to nuisance-abating steps that do not infringe on the rights of the homeless or are “not necessarily tied to immunities or constitution violations.”

Alarcon wrote in his denial that “the pleading is sufficiently broad in scope” so that it could cover “simple issues such as cleanup, other than more concerning issues of law enforcement or homeless rights.”

Rob Wilcox, spokesman for the City Attorney’s Office, said the city “strongly” disagrees with the judge’s ruling and there are plans to “seek immediate appellate review.”

Mark Ryavec, president of the Venice Stakeholders Association, said he and other plaintiffs are “heartened by the court’s support of our position that the city and county have a legal responsibility to abate the nuisance, which they are allowing to exist in the Venice Beach Recreation Area.”

“Just like all other owners who are responsible for their property, the city and county need to be held responsible to residents for the harm we experience,” Ryavec said.

In their initial 2014 complaint, Ryavec and other plaintiffs contend that during the previous five years, “on almost a daily basis,” the city and county “have failed to control and maintain” the Venice beach area and surrounding areas by allowing “transients and other individuals” to bring baggage, camping gear and personal belongings to the area at “all hours of the day and night.”

The complaint faulted the city for failing to enforce an ordinance that restricts people from setting up encampments to sleep overnight at the beach area, which is considered a park owned by the city and partly managed by the county.

The group’s attorney, Kristina Kropp, said today that while the stakeholder group has separately taken issue with transients camping overnight at the beach, the case moving forward today is not targeted at the homeless, but rather at the existence of the illegal activity and nuisance problems.

Kropp added there may be “different groups” that are the source of the troublesome activity, not just transients.

Ryavec said enforcing a revised version of the ordinance that restricts encampments at city parks “would address a significant aspect of the nuisance,” as would enforcing park curfews and drug laws, the city has “prosecutorial discretion,” which allows city officials to decide which laws they wish to enforce.

Mayor Eric Garcetti recently directed the city to suspend enforcement of that ordinance, and another one for sidewalks, that gives the city a process for removing items left on the street, including the encampments of the homeless.

Ryavec contends that unlike the street encampment ordinance, the law addressing encampments at city parks has not been the subject of legal challenges, so the city should not have suspended enforcement on it.

Ryavec said the group’s message to the city is that “this is a problem, you have to fix it.”

“Either they (the city) stop the nuisance, or they get to compensate us with a lot of money, and we can use that to pay for security,” Ryavec said.

Related Posts

Man Arrested in Brentwood for Impersonating Firefighter During Palisades Fire

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

The suspect faces at least 28 criminal counts—including 23 felonies—spanning incidents from 2023 to May 2025 Federal and local law...

Study Highlights Economic Impact of Cap-and-Trade Extension in Los Angeles

July 18, 2025

July 18, 2025

Governor Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders are pushing to reauthorize the program this year, citing its role in generating 287,000...

Nearly $1B Secured for Refinancing of Westfield Century City Mall

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

The proceeds will replace a $925 million commercial mortgage-backed securities loan, originally issued by Morgan Stanley in 2023 and due...

West Coast Premiere of ‘The Opposite of Love’ Opens at Hudson Backstage Theatre

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

Produced by Neil Gooding Productions, behind shows like Back to the Future: The Musical, the play runs Thursdays through Saturdays...

Tesla Seen Nearly Crashing into West LA Home After Collision

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

Footage depicted a blue Prius on the road with significant front-end damage A crash involving injuries was reported around 12:30...

DUI Checkpoints to be Conducted Across LA This Weekend

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The LAPD selects checkpoint sites based on data indicating high incidents of impaired driving-related crashes and arrests The Los Angeles...

Mayor Bass Hails National Guard Withdrawal as Victory for Unity

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The Pentagon’s decision to reduce the troop presence follows weeks of legal challenges and public demonstrations Mayor Karen Bass celebrated...

(Video) Did You Know Emma Chamberlain’s Coffee Shop is in Century City?

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The outpost is a first for the popular influencer Did You Know Emma Chamberlain’s Coffee Shop is in Century City?...

Dodgers to Host Back to School Bash for Fire-Affected Families

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The free event will offer free groceries, school supplies, outfits, haircuts, medical screenings, and carnival rides The Los Angeles Dodgers...

Hundreds of Red-Legged Frog Tadpoles Released in Santa Monica Mountains

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

Once widespread in California, red-legged frogs vanished from the Santa Monica Mountains by the 1970s Nearly 600 California red-legged frog...

LA Sees Second Straight Year of Homelessness Decline, Leaders Celebrate Progress

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The survey, designed by the University of Southern California, reported a 17.5% drop—the largest two-year decrease on record The Los...

Westwood Village Board to Discuss Public Art Initiative

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

The initiative aims to enhance community pride, boost local business revenue, and address urban blight through public art corridors and...

Beverly Hills Plans Major Apartment Development Near Civic Center

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

The site, currently holding 13 residential units, is slated for demolition to make way for the new development A proposal...

Federal Judge Sides with Santa Monica, Other Local Governments Against Immigration Raids

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete praised the ruling, saying it reaffirmed the city’s commitment to protecting residents from unjust detention...

California Hits Two-Thirds Clean Energy Milestone

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

This year, clean energy has powered the state for an average of seven hours daily, with over 90% of days...