Tustin, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)

Article 4, Chapter 5 of the Tustin City Code implements the State's authority under Vehicle Code Section 22660 to abate junk vehicles as public nuisances. Section 4502 defines an abandoned vehicle as one relinquished by its owner or left on public or private property for more than seventy-two consecutive hours without consent, and covers wrecked, dismantled, and inoperative vehicles the same way. Section 4503 makes it unlawful for any person to abandon, park, store, or leave such a vehicle, and separately makes it unlawful for a property owner to permit one to sit on their land; refusing to remove it once ordered is its own violation.

Section 4504 carves out three exceptions: a vehicle completely enclosed in a building and out of view, one behind a solid, view-obscuring fence at least six feet high, or one stored lawfully by a licensed dismantler, dealer, or junk yard as part of its business. When the Director of Community Development or a designated code enforcement officer finds a violation, Section 4506 requires a ten-day notice of intention to abate sent by registered or certified mail to both the property owner and the vehicle's registered owner, explaining their right to request a hearing.

Section 4507 lets either owner request that hearing within the ten days; if none is requested, the City can remove the vehicle without one. Section 4508 puts the Community Development Director or a designee in the hearing officer's chair, and Section 4509 lets any person appeal that officer's decision under Section 9294 of the City Code.