137 short-term rental violators minimize hefty fines during city’s amnesty period.

On Aug. 8, Carmel drew a line in the white sand and dared homeowners violating the city’s short-term rental ordinance to cross it. In this case, it wasn’t a challenge for a fight so much as an opportunity and warning in one: Turn yourselves in during a 90-day amnesty period or we’re coming after you in court.

The amnesty offer was made during the same City Council meeting when City Attorney Glen Mozingo announced the city had settled a lawsuit filed June 6 against Jozef and Anna Wagelaar, a Pleasanton couple who own a two-bedroom, two-bathroom home they were advertising as a short term rental on VRBO.com. The couple was facing around $42,100 in fines.

Jozef Wagelaar says he agreed to stop renting out the home for less than 30 days and agreed to pay the city a total of $25,000 over two years. In return the city agreed to waive an additional $17,100 in fines, as well as attorney costs, a percentage of transient-occupancy taxes, penalties and interest.

Mozingo let other short-term rental landlords know Aug. 8 that they could get a deal similar to the Wagelaars’, if they came forward by November. On Dec. 5, Mozingo announced that 137 homeowners turned themselves in.

Marc Wiener, Carmel planning and building director, says that over the past two months, 135 short-term rental listings were removed from websites. Now just 45 such listings remain. “Overall, things are trending in a positive direction,” he says.