Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills cited for building violations

Following the deaths of 11 residents, Hollywood has cited the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills with two violations for work completed without permits, according to documents obtained by CBS4.

The first violation concerns a new cooling tower being installed on the existing chiller system without permits. The second documents a temporary standby generator being installed and tied into the building’s electrical system without permits.

The mechanical room also had multiple electrical hazards, according to the documents. Inspectors found spliced electrical wires, said Raelin Storey, a spokesperson for Hollywood.

Hollywood Hills’ 145 residents were evacuated on Sept. 13 after air conditioning in the building failed. Among the 11 who died, some had temperatures as high as 109.9 degrees. The nursing home has since been shut down.

Police asked officials with the city’s Building and Engineering Services and the fire marshal to inspect the building after the deaths, Storey said.

But the temporary generator was installed in 2013, before Larkin bought the nursing home in 2015, wrote Kirsten K. Ullman, co-counsel for the center, in a statement. She said the center found out it was installed without a permit only when the city issued the citation. Contractors are working on securing permits for both violations.

The violations were issued Monday, and the nursing home has 30 days to get the required permits and inspections or else be fined up to $1,000 a day per violation. The nursing home will have to pay double the ordinary cost of the permit for failing to secure approval in advance of installation, Storey said.

This story was originally published September 27, 2017 at 5:53 PM with the headline "Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills cited for building violations."