Board finds code violations at 2117 3rd Street; owner given 45 days to submit permits

The Sacramento Housing Code Advisory and Appeals Board on June 10, 2026 adopted a decision finding that the property at 2117 3rd Street was in violation of provisions of the Sacramento City Code and ordered the owner to obtain permits to correct dangerous or substandard conditions or to demolish the structure within 45 days of the decision.

At a hearing on case 25-006734, city building inspector Elijah Prak presented staff findings that inspections identified unpermitted work including two additional dwelling units (a converted basement labeled Unit A and a converted detached garage labeled Unit C), rear stairs and a sun deck, and unapproved mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. Prak told the board the violations were identified through inspections and that staff recommended the board adopt a decision ordering correction or demolition.

Owner Anthony De Barros told the board he has worked to legalize the property and said he retained professionals, submitted documentation and sought to cooperate with the city. “I just wanted to begin by making it clear that I'm not here to avoid compliance or challenge the city's authority,” De Barros said, and asked the board to consider his records of communication, ongoing work and efforts to obtain permits under the legalization pathway created by state legislation he referenced as AB 2533.

Board members pressed De Barros on timing and permit progress. De Barros said he had one permit application in review for Unit C and expected to submit the plans for Unit A within about 30 to 45 days, depending on his structural engineer's workload. Inspector Prak confirmed an application had been submitted on May 29 and that, as of the hearing, no permits had been issued; Prak added that an acceptable submittal for a unit would stop the issuance of administrative penalties and monitoring fees while the permit application was processed.

City staff and the board discussed the interaction between the state legalization pathway for certain ADUs (referred to at the hearing as AB 2533) and local enforcement. The housing enforcement chief explained that AB 2533 provides a process to legalize previously illegal units in many circumstances, but where inspectors find distinct housing-code or health-and-safety violations the AB pathway may not prevent enforcement; staff said inspectors had documented code violations in this case.

A board member moved to find the property in violation of chapters cited in the Sacramento City Code and to order the owner to obtain permits to correct the dangerous conditions or demolish the structure within 45 days of the decision; the motion also specified that no fees be issued during the 45-day period and described the city’s enforcement remedies if the owner fails to comply. The motion was seconded and the clerk recorded the supporting votes; the board told De Barros he would receive the written decision by mail and encouraged him to follow up directly with his inspector.

The decision explains the board’s power to order correction or demolition, to set work-start and completion deadlines, and to authorize the city to repair, secure or demolish a structure and assess costs against the property if the owner fails to comply.

Next steps: the board’s written decision will be mailed to the property owner; the decision and any required work periods will be forwarded to the city council for ordinance compliance review if required by the municipal process.