With the high need for and scarcity of affordable housing in Park City, the Affordable Housing Department diligently to ensure that those households targeted for assistance are the ones being served. To that end, in 2014, the City adopted Criminal Ordinance 8.3.6: Affordable Housing Fraud. The Criminal Ordinance authorizes the Park City Police Department to investigate housing fraud violations.

If you suspect you know of someone practicing affordable housing fraud, please fill out the form LINKED HERE.

Anyone who violates the provisions of Criminal Ordinance 8.3.6 could be found guilty of a class B misdemeanor, and could be disqualified from further participation in affordable housing programs within Park City limits for five years. 

What Constitutes Affordable Housing Fraud? 

According to Park City Criminal Ordinance 8.3.6, a person commits housing fraud when he or she does the following:

1. Knowingly makes any material misstatement, misrepresentation, or omission during the purchase, sale, mortgage lending process, leasing, or other process involving a deed restricted affordable housing unit, intending that it be relied upon by a buyer, seller, mortgage lender, borrower, renter or any other party;
2. When dealing with a deed restricted affordable housing unit, knowingly:
   
   • Participates in or facilitates any contract or other agreement other than a standard Real Estate Purchase agreement or other formal real estate contract or agreement for the real property, to sell or purchase improvements to the real property or personal property for a value in excess of the deed restricted maximum resale value;
   • Obtains or facilitates financing of a deed restricted affordable housing unit at an amount greater than the deed restricted maximum resale value;
   • Closes an escrow or facilitates a transfer of the property without fully complying with all requirements related to a transfer of the property;
   • Leases an affordable unit without fully complying with the requirements set forth in the deed restrictions;
   • Fails to occupy his or her deed restricted affordable housing unit as his or her primary residence; or 
   • Fails to file or cause to be filed annually a signed and notarized affidavit of compliance, or provide false information on the affidavit of compliance; 
3. Knowingly files or causes to be filed with any county recorder in Utah any document that the person knows contains a material misstatement, misrepresentation, or omission; or 
4. Received any proceeds or any compensation in connection with a sale, lease or financing of a deed restricted affordable housing unit that the person knows resulted from a violation of this section.

For more information about Affordable Housing fraud, please contact Housing Program Administrator Rhoda Stauffer at 435.615.5152 or rhoda.stauffer@parkcity.org.