3721.08 Injunctive relief.
3721.08 Injunctive relief.
(A) As used in this section, “real and present danger” means imminent danger of serious physical or life-threatening harm to one or more occupants of a home.
(B) The director of health may petition the court of common pleas of the county in which the home is located for an order enjoining any person from operating a home without a license or enjoining a county home or district home that has had its license revoked from continuing to operate. The court shall have jurisdiction to grant such injunctive relief upon a showing that the respondent named in the petition is operating a home without a license or that the county home or district home named in the petition is operating despite the revocation of its license. The court shall have jurisdiction to grant such injunctive relief against the operation of a home without a valid license regardless of whether the home meets essential licensing requirements.
(C) Unless the department of job and family services or contracting agency has taken action under section 5111.51 of the Revised Code to appoint a temporary manager or seek injunctive relief, if, in the judgment of the director of health, real and present danger exists at any home, the director may petition the court of common pleas of the county in which the home is located for such injunctive relief as is necessary to close the home, transfer one or more occupants to other homes or other appropriate care settings, or otherwise eliminate the real and present danger. The court shall have the jurisdiction to grant such injunctive relief upon a showing that there is real and present danger.
(D)(1) If the director determines that real and present danger exists at a home and elects not to immediately seek injunctive relief under division (C) of this section, the director may give written notice of proposed action to the home. The notice shall specify all of the following:
(a) The nature of the conditions giving rise to the real and present danger;
(b) The measures that the director determines the home must take to respond to the conditions;
(c) The date on which the director intends to seek injunctive relief under division (C) of this section if the director determines that real and present danger exists at the home.
(2) If the home notifies the director, within the time specified pursuant to division (D)(1)(c) of this section, that it believes the conditions giving rise to the real and present danger have been substantially corrected, the director shall conduct an inspection to determine whether real and present danger exists. If the director determines on the basis of the inspection that real and present danger exists, the director may petition under division (C) of this section for injunctive relief.
(E)(1) If in the judgment of the director of health conditions exist at a home that will give rise to real and present danger if not corrected, the director shall give written notice of proposed action to the home. The notice shall specify all of the following:
(a) The nature of the conditions giving rise to the director’s judgment;
(b) The measures that the director determines the home must take to respond to the conditions;
(c) The date, which shall be no less than ten days after the notice is delivered, on which the director intends to seek injunctive relief under division (C) of this section if the conditions are not substantially corrected and the director determines that a real and present danger exists.
(2) If the home notifies the director, within the period of time specified pursuant to division (E)(1)(c) of this section, that the conditions giving rise to the director’s determination have been substantially corrected, the director shall conduct an inspection. If the director determines on the basis of the inspection that the conditions have not been corrected and a real and present danger exists, the director may petition under division (C) of this section for injunctive relief.
(F)(1) A court that grants injunctive relief under division (C) of this section may also appoint a special master who, subject to division (F)(2) of this section, shall have such powers and authority over the home and length of appointment as the court considers necessary. Subject to division (F)(2) of this section, the salary of a special master and any costs incurred by a special master shall be the obligation of the home.
(2) No special master shall enter into any employment contract on behalf of a home, or purchase with the home’s funds any capital goods totaling more than ten thousand dollars, unless the special master has obtained approval for the contract or purchase from the home’s operator or the court.
(G) If the director takes action under division (C), (D), or (E) of this section, the director may also appoint employees of the department of health to conduct on-site monitoring of the home. Appointment of monitors is not subject to appeal under Chapter 119. or any other section of the Revised Code. No employee of a home for which monitors are appointed, no person employed by the home within the previous two years, and no person who currently has a consulting contract with the department or a home, shall be appointed under this division. Every monitor shall have the professional qualifications necessary to monitor correction of the conditions that give rise to or, in the director’s judgment, will give rise to real and present danger. The number of monitors present at a home at any given time shall not exceed one for every fifty residents, or fraction thereof.
(H) On finding that the real and present danger for which injunctive relief was granted under division (C) of this section has been eliminated and that the home’s operator has demonstrated the capacity to prevent the real and present danger from recurring, the court shall terminate its jurisdiction over the home and return control and management of the home to the operator. If the real and present danger cannot be eliminated practicably within a reasonable time following appointment of a special master, the court may order the special master to close the home and transfer all residents to other homes or other appropriate care settings.
(I) The director of health shall give notice of proposed action under divisions (D) and (E) of this section to both of the following:
(1) The home’s administrator;
(2) If the home is operated by an organization described in subsection 501(c)(3) and tax exempt under subsection 501(a) of the “Internal Revenue Code of 1986,” 100 Stat. 2085, 26 U.S.C.A. 1, as amended, the board of trustees of the organization; or, if the home is not operated by such an organization, the owner of the home.
Notices shall be delivered by certified mail or hand delivery. If notices are mailed, they shall be addressed to the persons specified in divisions (I)(1) and (2) of this section, as indicated in the department of health’s records. If they are hand delivered, they shall be delivered to persons who would reasonably appear to the average prudent person to have authority to accept them.
(J) If ownership of a home is assigned or transferred to a different person, the new owner is responsible and liable for compliance with any notice of proposed action or order issued under this section prior to the effective date of the assignment or transfer.
Effective Date: 07-21-2000