The ruling means the motel must shut down and cannot reopen under the current ownership for at least one year
The Pavilions Motel, long the subject of complaints over drug activity and unsafe conditions, has been ordered to close after a Santa Monica administrative hearing examiner upheld the city’s decision to revoke its business license.
The ruling, issued on March 24, confirmed the city’s June 2024 decision to revoke the license, citing the motel’s role as a hub for illicit activity, including drug-related offenses and disruptive behavior. Owners Saeed Farzam and Goharshad Farzam had appealed the revocation but failed to meet compliance requirements set forth in a previous administrative hearing, city officials said.
Following a six-day hearing in November 2024, the examiner initially upheld the revocation but allowed the owners 90 days to implement changes, including hiring qualified overnight staff, fixing code violations, and providing Santa Monica police with access to security footage. However, the latest decision found that the owners did not comply with all conditions, cementing the revocation.
The ruling means the motel must shut down and cannot reopen under the current ownership for at least one year, in accordance with city policy. Santa Monica’s Code Enforcement Division, police department, and City Attorney’s Office will monitor the property to ensure compliance with vacant property regulations, which are designed to prevent abandoned buildings from becoming further nuisances.
The closure follows years of legal battles and community concerns over criminal activity at the 20-unit budget motel on Ocean Park Boulevard. In May 2024, the city filed a lawsuit against the Farzams, accusing them of violating public nuisance laws and the state’s Drug Abatement Act. According to city officials, police had conducted multiple drug raids at the motel, recovering methamphetamine, fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, and weapons.
Authorities also cited a history of overdoses at the property, with five deaths occurring on-site since 2019, three of which were linked to drug abuse. The motel has also been associated with prostitution and building code violations, officials said.
Santa Monica Police Chief Ramon Batista previously stated that the motel had placed an “outsized burden” on police resources, requiring frequent patrols and interventions. Community complaints and negative guest reviews dating back more than a decade describe unsafe conditions, with reports of fights, substance abuse, and cockroach infestations.
City Attorney Douglas Sloan reaffirmed the city’s stance on holding property owners accountable. “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,” he said in a statement.
Under the lawsuit filed last year, the city sought a one-year closure of the motel, improvements to property management, and civil penalties of $25,000 per defendant. The case, The People of the State of California and the City of Santa Monica v. Saeed Farzam, Goharshad Farzam, and Pavilions Motel, Inc., remains in the Beverly Hills Courthouse.
