Montebello, CA Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Montebello, CA, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Removal ban
- unauthorized removal or cutting barred
- Advance notice
- 10 days to abutting owner
- Owner objection
- 10 days to object in writing
- Appeal window
- 5 days to city council
- Convenience removal
- council discretion; owner pays full cost
- Penalty
- misdemeanor or infraction (Sec. 1.12.010)
Summary
In the City of Montebello, no one may remove or cut a tree planted or maintained by the city without authorization. The city gives abutting owners ten days' notice before removing a city tree, and an owner who wants a street tree removed for convenience must ask the council and pay the full cost in advance.
Such trees shall not be removed unless ten days written notice of such proposed removal is given to the abutting property owner, except where the superintendent determines that public safety requires immediate removal thereof. ... Whenever a person desires to have a street tree removed from a planting strip or easement, located immediately adjacent and abutting such person's property, a written request therefor shall be filed with the superintendent. If such removal is requested solely as a matter of convenience to such person, the matter shall be referred to the city council to determine whether the public interest, convenience and necessity require such removal. The council may, at its discretion, permit such removal; provided, that the person requesting the same shall pay the full cost thereof in advance to the city. ... No person shall remove or cut any tree planted or maintained by the city or on city property.
Full Breakdown
Montebello Municipal Code Section 12.08.060 requires the superintendent to give the abutting property owner ten days' written notice before removing a city-maintained tree, unless public safety requires immediate removal. An owner may file a written objection within ten days, and if the superintendent overrules it, the owner has five days to appeal in writing to the city council, which then holds an administrative hearing after five days' written notice to interested parties. Section 12.08.080 lets a property owner request removal of a street tree abutting their lot; if the request is purely a matter of convenience, the city council decides whether public interest, convenience and necessity require it, and approval is conditioned on the requester paying the full removal cost in advance.
Section 12.08.090 flatly bars any person from removing or cutting a city-planted or city-maintained tree, and separately bars trimming or pruning such a tree without the Section 12.08.110 permit, or injuring a city tree by paving over its root area, piling materials against it, pouring deleterious matter on it, attaching signs or wires to it, or setting fires near it.
Violations & Fines
Removing, cutting or injuring a city tree without authorization violates Section 12.08.090. Section 12.08.110(D) confirms that a violation of Section 12.08.090 may be punished as a misdemeanor or infraction under Section 1.12.010: up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail for a misdemeanor, or escalating infraction fines of $100, $200 and $500 for repeat violations within a year. The city may also pursue nuisance abatement and cost recovery for damage to a city tree.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cut down a city tree in front of my Montebello house?
How do I request removal of a street tree I don't want?
Can the city remove a tree without warning me first?
What if I disagree with the city's decision to remove a tree?
What's the penalty for illegally cutting down a city tree?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montebello
California rules heatmap·Compare Montebello to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Tree Removal & Heritage Trees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle tree removal & heritage trees.