Los Angeles business owner, Arik Air, has accused city code enforcement officials of unfairly targeting him for a minor violation while ignoring the growing issue of homeless encampments.
Air, the owner of Motostyles, a motorcycle accessory and remote control hobbies store in the Grenada Hills area, claims that code enforcement officials have visited his business multiple times in June. Despite his complaints to city officials, including the mayor, Air says he has been met with silence.
In an interview with "Fox & Friends," Air expressed his frustration, stating, "I'm kind of pissed off because it's an ongoing battle with them for kind of forever. They keep changing the inspectors and actually to justify their work, they come and give you a ticket for something."
Air revealed that he has previously been ticketed by code enforcement officials for flying an American flag outside his shop. "The guy called them flag banners, and I said, This is not a banner. This is the American flag. And, you know, we got a ticket for those in the past. And it was $461," he explained.
According to Air, last month, code enforcement agents contacted him five times regarding a foldable sign on the sidewalk outside his store. They visited in person four times and called the fifth time, asking him to send a photo of the sign to ensure compliance with the law.
Air claims that officials repeatedly asked him to move the sign by just one inch so that it would no longer touch city property. However, he argues that his property line extends beyond what the city is claiming. "Even if the sign goes in one inch out or even four feet out, it still belongs to the property owner, not to the city. They decided this is their land. I did a survey online, and it's showing that the property line is much more outside," he stated.
While code enforcement officials are causing a stir over a sign that does not obstruct the sidewalk, Air points out that they continue to ignore the growing number of homeless encampments in Los Angeles. "They never care. They can get to my shop the same day in a couple of minutes, but they cannot go and actually deal with something else down the street," he criticized.
Due to the repeated visits and fines, Air is now considering leaving California altogether. Another business he is involved with has already relocated to the Charlotte area in North Carolina.
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