Residents ask Paradise council to rescind code-enforcement fines for modular homes

Multiple residents asked the Paradise Town Council to void enforcement citations tied to modular homes and secondary-dwelling placements they said were permitted or in the process of being permitted.

Mike Ficklin described paying for surveys, restoring utilities and pursuing permits after the Camp Fire, but he said he still faces about $6,000 in fines for what he described as a modular home improperly labeled as an RV. "Long story short, finding somebody to move the house up here was near impossible," Ficklin said, describing delays with contractors and a months-long permitting process. He asked the council to remove the fines.

Mike Pollack said he obtained an administrative use permit and believed the proposed secondary dwelling complied with applicable standards, but after placement he received a 30-day notice and a seven-month review. "I'm asking for the violation to be voided because the town — the only one that could do it now is the town council," Pollack said.

Assistant Town Manager Mark Maddox told the council staff has been working with the residents for months but does not have legal authority to waive citations. The town attorney recommended the council add a closed-session agenda item to discuss legal implications and options, and the council agreed to direct staff to return the matter in closed session.

No citation waivers were granted tonight; council direction was limited to pursuing a closed-session legal review.