Los Angeles Municipal Code Art. 8 Nuisances

(Amended by Ord. No. 175,596, Eff. 12/7/03.)

When the Health Officer, acting under any authority vested in the Health Officer, orders the abatement of a nuisance or condition within the City of Los Angeles that endangers the public health, safety and welfare, and the person or persons responsible for the creation or maintenance of the nuisance fail to comply with the order, the Health Officer may request the Department of Public Works or any other department having the necessary workforce and equipment, to perform the work required to abate the nuisance.

All costs incurred pursuant to this section shall be a personal obligation against the person or persons responsible for the creation or maintenance of the nuisance and the owner of the property, recoverable by the City in an action before any court of competent jurisdiction. These costs shall include an amount equal to 40 percent of the cost to perform the actual work, but not less than the sum of $100.00, to cover the City’s costs for administering any contract and supervising the work required. In addition to this personal obligation and all other remedies provided by law, the City may collect any judgment, fee, cost, or charge, including any permit fees, fines, late charges, or interest, incurred in relation to the provisions of this section as provided in Los Angeles Administrative Code Sections 7.35.1 through 7.35.8.

(Added by Ord. No. 160,171, Eff. 8/22/85).

A. The City Council finds that weeds (as defined in Article 2, Chapter 13, Part 2, Division 3 or Title 4, commencing at Section 39560 of the Government Code of the State of California), rubbish and other material dangerous or injurious to neighboring property or to the health or safety of residents of the vicinity constitute a public nuisance.

B. Every owner of any parcel of land or premises who, after receiving notice as provided by Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 22.325.1 B., fails to abate a public nuisance thereon consisting of weeds, rubbish, or other material dangerous or injurious to neighboring property or to the health or welfare of residents of the vicinity by the date specified in the notice or the date upon which the City is authorized to abate the nuisance pursuant to Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 22.325.1, whichever date is later, is guilty of a misdemeanor pursuant to Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 11.00(m). (Amended by Ord. No. 186,722, Eff. 9/20/20.)

C. The Director of the Bureau of Street Services, the Assistant Director of the Bureau of Street Services, the Chief Street Services Investigator, Senior Street Services Investigators, and Street Services Investigators (BSS Investigators) shall have the authority to enforce this section. BSS Investigators shall also have the authority to make arrests without a warrant whenever they have a reasonable cause to believe that the person to be arrested has committed a misdemeanor in their presence in violation of this section. BSS Investigators are deemed to be acting within the scope of their employment with respect to all acts and matters set forth in this section. BSS Investigators also shall have the authority to issue Administrative Citations for violations of this section pursuant to Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 11.00(m). (Added by Ord. No. 186,722, Eff. 9/20/20.)

D. For purposes of determining the applicable Administrative Fine pursuant to Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 11.2.04(b) for a violation of this section, each separate parcel of land with a distinct Assessor Parcel Number shall be subject to a separate fine, even when a property owner owns multiple adjoining parcels. (Added by Ord. No. 186,722, Eff. 9/20/20.)

E. Fifty percent of each Administrative Fine collected for a violation of this section shall be deposited into the Council District Real Property Trust Fund, specifically into the Council District fund where the property is located and the violation occurred, pursuant to Los Angeles Administrative Code Section 5.500. (Added by Ord. No. 186,722, Eff. 9/20/20.)

(Added by Ord. No. 176,240, Eff. 10/23/04.)

A. Any standing water on private property which has become a breeding source for mosquitos is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and an immediate threat to the public health safety and welfare of the citizens of Los Angeles.

B. When the Health Officer or an officer of any Los Angeles County Vector Control District acting under any authority vested in the Health Officer finds any standing water on private property which has become a breeding source for mosquitoes, said officer may issue a written order to abate the standing water or other condition within the City of Los Angeles that endangers the public health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Los Angeles. The owner or other person or persons responsible for the private property where the breeding source was found shall have 72 hours to abate or eliminate the condition which created the breeding source for mosquitos. Upon the issuance of the notice to abate the nuisance created by the breeding source for mosquitos, the owner or other person or persons responsible for the private property may at no cost to the owner or responsible person request that the vector control district abate the standing water as a source of breeding mosquitos. The owner or responsible person may also choose to abate the nuisance within the 72 hours allowed. Any owner or responsible person who fails to comply with a 72 hour nuisance abatement order issued pursuant to this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor pursuant to LAMC Section 11.00(m).

C. If any officer as described in this code who is lawfully on private property finds a nuisance as described above and is unable to contact the owner or other person or persons responsible for the private property in question within twenty-four hours, said officer may summarily abate the nuisance at no cost to the owner or responsible person. If a nuisance has been abated without the knowledge or permission of the owner or other responsible person, then the abating officer shall post a notice on the property in a prominent place that explains exactly where and what steps were taken to abate the nuisance.

D. If an owner or responsible person who has been cited to abate a nuisance within 72 hours fails to do so, any officer described herein may then summarily abate the nuisance. All costs incurred to abate the nuisance pursuant to this section shall be a personal obligation against the owner or person or persons responsible for the creation or maintenance of the nuisance, recoverable by the abating organization in an action before any court of competent jurisdiction. These costs shall include an amount equal to 40 percent of the cost to perform the actual work, but not less than the sum of $100.00, to cover the costs for doing the work, administering any contract to do the work and/or supervising the work required. In addition to this personal obligation and all other remedies provided by law, the abating organization may collect any judgment, fee, cost, or charge, including any permit fees, fines, late charges, or interest, incurred in relation to the provisions of this section as provided in Los Angeles Administrative Code Sections 7.35.1 through 7.35.8.