Tag: Pavilions Motel

SANTA MONICA—On Thursday, March 27, the city of Santa Monica announced in a news release that The Pavilions Motel, which had been maintained as a public nuisance by its owners, will close after an administrative hearing examiner ruling upheld the city’s revocation of its business license last week.

A hearing examiner for Santa Monica issued a written decision on March 24, 2025, upholding the city’s June 2024 revocation of the motel’s business license after owners Saeed Farzam and Goharshad Farzam filed an appeal.

The city revoked the business license due to owners Saeed Farzam and Goharshad Farzam maintaining the motel as a public nuisance, including as a site for drugs, disruptive activities and dangerous conditions.

After an administrative hearing held over six days, the Hearing Examiner issued a decision on November 18, 2024, upholding the city’s business license revocation and giving owners the opportunity to regain their business license if they complied with certain conditions during a 90-day period.

The owners were mandated to hire qualified overnight staff, abate all code violations and provide the Santa Monica Police Department with access to motel security cameras.

After the conclusion of the 90-day period, the hearing examiner held a hearing to evaluate compliance with those conditions and issued a decision finding that the owners did not comply with all conditions and could therefore not reinstate their business license.

In accordance with city policy, the owners cannot obtain a new business license with the city for one year and the motel must remain closed while the license is revoked.

The city’s civil lawsuit, which also seeks closure for a year, monetary penalties and other relief to abate the nuisances, is ongoing.

By Trevor

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