I recently received my “Business Tax Renewal Notice” from the City of Sacramento. Unlike most other jurisdictions, the City of Sacramento does not issue traditional business permits. Instead, the City levies a Business Tax. I can’t tell the difference. But that’s not the point of this blog!
The City of Sacramento did something new this year. The City included a “Notice to Applicants for Business Licenses and Commercial Building Permits” along with my annual tax bill. The notice is dated December 26, 2018. This is apparently an effort to comply with the provisions of Assembly Bill 3002 that was signed into law in 2018.
The City’s notice is specifically related to ADA compliance! This is a great idea. The notice gives a very primitive overview of the ADA. The notice also tells the applicant that ADA laws impose a “serious and significant responsibility.”
The City’s ADA notice also discusses the existence of the CASp inspection program, tax credits, and provides helpful links to relevant government websites.
I talk to about a dozen California business owners and landlords each week about ADA lawsuits. Most of these people tell me that they did not understand the true scope of the ADA and its requirements. Most of these calls have never heard of CASp inspectors, nor were they aware that non-compliance could result in litigation. A lot of folks are frustrated that their local government officials aren’t doing more to educate businesses about ADA requirements.
I think the City of Sacramento is doing a great service by including this helpful notice along with all tax bills and building permit applications. Hopefully the recipients will take note of the notice. The three minutes it might take a person to read this notice could end up saving them tens of thousands of dollars in legal expenses down the road. But that’s only if prompt action is taken. The best way to avoid ADA litigation is to ensure fully-accessible businesses.
I represent landlords and business owners throughout California that are faced with ADA lawsuits. Please contact my office at (916) 333-2222 to discuss steps that you can take to avoid ADA litigation before it is too late.
