Paramount, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Time limit
- More than five days on private or public property, not highways
- Offense
- Misdemeanor under § 10.24.130
- Notice
- 10-day notice by registered mail to land and vehicle owners
- Hearing request
- Within 10 days after the notice is mailed
- Council appeal
- Written notice within five days after the City Manager decides
- Unpaid costs
- Assessed to the parcel after 30 days
- Administered by
- The City Manager
Summary
In the City of Paramount, California, it is a misdemeanor to leave an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle, or parts of one, on private or public property other than a highway for more than five days. The City Manager runs removal through a 10-day notice, a hearing and a council appeal.
It is unlawful and a misdemeanor for any person to abandon, park, store or leave, or permit the abandonment, parking, storing or leaving of any licensed or unlicensed vehicle, or parts thereof, which is in an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative condition upon any private property or public property, not including highways, within the City for a period in excess of five days, unless such vehicle, or parts thereof, is completely enclosed within a building in a lawful manner where it is not plainly visible from the street or other public or private property, or unless such vehicle is stored or parked in a lawful manner on private property in connection with the business of a licensed dismantle, licensed vehicle dealer or a junkyard.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 10.24 of the Paramount Municipal Code declares abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicles and vehicle parts a public nuisance when they sit on private or public property, not including highways. Section 10.24.130 makes it a misdemeanor to park, store or leave one for more than five days. The only exceptions are a vehicle completely enclosed in a building in a lawful manner where it is not plainly visible from the street or other property, and a vehicle stored lawfully on private property in connection with a licensed dismantler, licensed vehicle dealer or junkyard. Section 10.24.020 repeats those exemptions for the chapter.
The City Manager administers the chapter under Section 10.24.040, and the City Manager and deputies can enter private or public property to examine a vehicle, learn its identity and remove it. A contractor the City Council has hired or franchised has the same right of entry under Section 10.24.050.
The process in Section 10.24.070 starts with a 10-day notice of intention to abate and remove, mailed by registered mail to the owner of the land and the owner of the vehicle. Either one can request a public hearing within 10 days. A landowner's sworn written statement denying responsibility counts as a hearing request, and the landowner does not have to appear. The hearing is held before the City Manager under Section 10.24.080, and if the vehicle was placed on the land without the owner's consent and the owner has not acquiesced, the City Manager cannot assess administrative or removal costs against the property.
Any interested party can appeal to the City Council by filing a written notice with the City Manager within five days after the decision (Section 10.24.090). Under Section 10.24.100 the vehicle can go to a scrap yard or dismantler's yard five days after the order, five days after notice of the decision is mailed, or 15 days after a council action authorizing removal on appeal, and a removed vehicle cannot be reconstructed or made operable. The Department of Motor Vehicles is notified within five days of removal (Section 10.24.110). Costs unpaid within 30 days of the order or final appeal are assessed against the parcel under Government Code Section 38773.5 and go to the tax collector with the same priority as City taxes (Section 10.24.120).
Violations & Fines
Leaving a covered vehicle in place for more than five days is a misdemeanor under Section 10.24.130, and refusing to remove a vehicle or abate the nuisance when ordered is a separate misdemeanor under Section 10.24.140. Section 1.04.150 sets misdemeanor punishment at a fine not exceeding the greater of $1,000 or the State maximum, up to six months in County Jail, or both, and treats each day as a separate offense. The landowner also faces removal and administrative costs assessed against the parcel.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can an inoperative vehicle sit on my property in the City of Paramount?
What notice do I get before the City removes a vehicle?
Do I owe removal costs if someone dumped the vehicle on my lot?
How do I appeal the City Manager's removal order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Paramount
California rules heatmap·Compare Paramount to another location·View the California parking rules overview
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