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Press release from the County of Humboldt:

On Nov. 5, at about 8 a.m., an inspection and abatement warrant was served at the Green Valley Motel on State Highway 101 in Orick. The occupants were vacated and the motel was boarded up to prevent entry. The warrant was in response to a Notice and Order of Substandard Housing and Order to Vacate that was issued on Sept. 27, due to conditions at the motel that posed a significant hazard to the occupants and surrounding community.

An inspection on Sept. 15 by the County of Humboldt’s Code Enforcement Unit, Building Inspection and Department of Health and Human Services documented numerous violations of Humboldt County Code, California Building Code, Health and Safety Code and the International Property Maintenance Code. The violations included inadequate sanitation, structural and fire hazards, faulty weather protection, hazardous electrical work and mechanical equipment, inadequate heat supply, solid waste accumulation, infestations of rats, cockroaches and bedbugs.

The order to vacate gave the motel occupants 30 business days to leave the premises. During the 30-day period, the county worked with other organizations and local housing providers to relocate the most at-risk individuals and provided tenant relocation assistance to the occupants of the motel. The property owner will be responsible for all relocation expenses, staff time, contractors and materials. The costs will be recovered by all legal means available, including liens and tax assessments.