Gardena, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Nuisance trigger
- Abandoned/wrecked/dismantled/inoperative vehicle
- Notice period
- 10-day written notice to abate
- Hearing request window
- 10 days
- Decision body
- Traffic committee, decision final
- Exemption
- Vehicle fully enclosed, not visible
- Violation of removal order
- Misdemeanor
Summary
Gardena Municipal Code Chapter 10.44 declares an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle on private or public property (other than a highway) a public nuisance under § 10.44.010, and lets the city send a ten-day notice to abate and remove it. Refusing to comply or abate is a misdemeanor under § 10.44.150.
The accumulation and storage of abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles, or parts thereof, on private or public property, not including highways, is found to create a condition tending to reduce the value of private property, to promote blight and deterioration, to invite plundering, to create fire hazards, to constitute an attractive nuisance creating a hazard to the health and safety of minors, to create a harborage for rodents and insects, and to be injurious to the health, safety, and general welfare. Therefore, the presence of an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicle, or part thereof, on private or public property, not including highways, except as expressly permitted by the provisions of this chapter, is declared to constitute a public nuisance which may be abated as such in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. ... It is unlawful and a misdemeanor for any person to fail or refuse to remove an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicle, or part thereof, or to refuse to abate such nuisance when ordered to do so in accordance with the abatement provisions of this chapter or state laws where such state laws are applicable.
Full Breakdown
The chief of police administers Chapter 10.44 under § 10.44.050, acting on the authority the state grants cities in Vehicle Code § 22660 to treat derelict vehicles as nuisances. Section 10.44.010 spells out why: abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicles reduce property values, promote blight, invite plundering, create fire hazards, form an attractive nuisance for children and harbor rodents and insects. Two exceptions apply under § 10.44.030: a vehicle fully enclosed in a building and out of public view, and a vehicle stored lawfully on the property of a licensed dismantler, vehicle dealer or junk dealer in the course of that business.
Enforcement starts with a ten-day written notice of intent to abate, mailed to the landowner and to the vehicle's registered and legal owners under § 10.44.080; the notice must explain the right to request a hearing before the traffic committee, or to submit a sworn statement denying responsibility, within ten days under § 10.44.090. If no timely hearing request arrives, the police department may remove the vehicle without further process under § 10.44.120. At a hearing, the traffic committee can order removal, set administrative costs and delay removal if circumstances justify it under § 10.44.100, and its decision is final.
Unpaid administrative and removal costs convert into a lien against the parcel under Government Code § 38773.5. Refusing to remove a nuisance vehicle once ordered, or refusing to abate it, is itself a misdemeanor under § 10.44.150.
Violations & Fines
Failing or refusing to remove an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle after an abatement order, or refusing to abate the nuisance, is a misdemeanor under § 10.44.150, separate from the administrative removal and cost-assessment process the traffic committee runs under §§ 10.44.080 through 10.44.140.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much notice does Gardena give before removing an abandoned vehicle?
Can I keep a wrecked car in my garage in Gardena?
What happens if I ignore an abatement order for an abandoned vehicle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gardena
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Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle abandoned vehicles.