SANTA MONICA—On Monday, May 20, the city of Santa Monica disclosed on its website that the City Attorney’s Office filed a lawsuit against the owners and managers of the Pavilions Motel in Sunset Park, Saeed Farzam and Goharshad Farzam, alleging they violated the state Drug Abatement Act, state public nuisance laws and Santa Monica public nuisance law, by maintaining the Pavilions Motel as a place known for drug sales, fights and other issues that have impacted the quality of life for the surrounding area.
The complaint alleges that the Pavilions Motel, located within blocks of an elementary school and public park, community members are aware illegal drugs are sold in the motel parking lot or through motel “take out” windows.
The Santa Monica Police Department made multiple arrests in 2024 related to drug activity in and around the motel, including executing two search warrants which recovered quantities of suspected methamphetamine and fentanyl consistent with drug sales, as well as baggies, scales and weapons.
The complaint also alleges that the drug activity is connected to a stream of disruptive activity that emanates from the property, including loud fights that wake the neighbors, public intoxication, barking dogs and a large fire last year that engulfed two recycling bins.
The lawsuit seeks a court order to stop the drug and disruptive activities, require physical and managerial improvements to the property while the case proceeds and to close the property for one year, and seeking $25,000 in civil penalties per defendant and recovery of Santa Monica’s costs in investigating and abating the nuisances.
“Property owners are responsible for ensuring that their properties are not a nuisance or a danger to the neighborhood, and the city will hold them accountable when they fail to do so,” said City Attorney Douglas Sloan.
The Pavilions Motel was part of enforcement efforts in the past that included a joint code enforcement and police operation in 2007 that resulted in a temporary closure of the motel and arrests of several individuals, including owner Saeed Farzam.
“The Pavilions Motel has had an outsized impact on the community and on the deployment of police resources for years,” said Chief of Police Ramon Batista. “The Santa Monica Police Department is pleased to collaborate with the City Attorney’s Office in developing long-term solutions to this problem and this lawsuit is a critical step in that process.”
The People of the State of California and the City of Santa Monica v. Saeed Farzam, Goharshad Farzam, and Pavilions Motel, Inc, 24SMCV02305 has been assigned to Department 207 in the Beverly Hills Courthouse. The complaint can be read here.
By Trevor