Huntington Park Municipal Code Art. 2 Rats and Vermin

Note: Former Art. 2, Regulation of Dogs, derived from Ords. 1394, 1420, 1629, 85-NS, 96-NS, 227-NS, 264-NS, 265-NS, 349-NS, 400-NS, 448-NS, 624-NS, 708-NS, 724-NS and 745-NS and 944-NS, was repealed by Ord. 2026-02, 1/13/2026, eff. 2/13/2026.

It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain any building, lot, premises, vehicle, or any place in such an insanitary condition as to permit the breeding or harboring therein or thereon of flies, rats, bedbugs, cockroaches, lice, fleas, or any vermin. It shall be unlawful for any person to permit an accumulation of rubbish material which may serve as a harborage for rats unless such material shall be elevated not less than eighteen (18″) inches above the ground with a clear intervening space thereunder.

(§ VI, Ord. 1073)

No person shall use any building or structure, or any portion thereof, for a slaughterhouse, packinghouse, or bakery or for the manufacture, preparation, storage, handling, or display of any food or food product for human or animal consumption which building, in the opinion of the Health Officer, is, or is likely to become, infested with rats unless such building or structure, or portion thereof, shall be ratproofed.

(§ IV, Ord. 1073)

No person shall use any building or structure, or portion thereof, for the storage, handling, preparation, or sale of any grain or grain product which building, in the opinion of the Health Officer is, or is likely to become, infested with rats unless such building or structure or portion thereof, shall be ratproofed.

(§ II, Ord. 1073)

Ratproofing, as required in this article, shall mean a continuous masonry foundation of the size and depth required by the Building Code of the City for a new building of the same occupancy as regards clearance beneath wood joists, wall covering adjacent to the top foundation, and protection of roof and foundation openings. In addition, any building or structure, or portion thereof, used for the storage or handling of any grain or grain product or of any food or food product for human or animal consumption, except dwellings or apartments, shall be ratproofed as follows:

(a) Screening. All underfloor vents, openings in foundations, roof vents, and skylights shall be screened with at least one-half (1/2″) inch mesh hardware cloth.

(b) Foundations. All foundations, except as otherwise provided in this section, shall be continuous foundations as specified for Type V buildings in the Uniform Building Code.

Buildings erected without a continuous foundation and upon a slab of cement or asphaltic concrete not less than three (3″) inches in thickness need not be ratproofed as required if a concrete curb not less than one foot in depth below the finished grade is run continuously around and under the outside edges of such slab.

Buildings under 400 square feet in area having an eighteen (18″) inch clearance under the floor joists and supported on piers need not have the required continuous foundation.

(c) Walls. A twelve (12″) inch strip of noncorrodible metal lath weighing not less than 3/4 pound per square yard shall be placed under wall coverings on both the inside and outside of all exterior stud walls at the floor level, except that such strip need not be placed on the outside face when there is maintained a clearance of eighteen (18″) inches under the floor joists or when the exterior wall covering is stucco.

(§§ V and VII, Ord. 1073)

No person shall refuse, resist, or attempt to resist the entrance of the Health Officer into any railway car, vehicle, building, room, lot, or other place, or portion or room thereof, in the City in the performance of his or her duties nor refuse to obey any lawful order of the Health Officer made in the performance of his or her duties within the powers conferred upon him or her by law and by the provisions of this article.

(§ I, Ord. 1073)