Upland, CA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- State authority
- Veh. Code § 22660
- Notice period
- 10 days by registered mail
- Hearing appeal
- 5 days to city council
- Screening exception
- solid 6-ft fence or enclosed building
- Unpaid costs
- become a lien on the parcel
Summary
Chapter 8.20 declares abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles on private or public property (not highways) a public nuisance under state Vehicle Code Section 22660. The city can order removal after a 10-day mailed notice, with a right to a hearing and appeal to the city council.
1. 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. 2. Therefore, the presence of an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle or parts thereof, on private or public property not including highways, except as expressly hereinafter permitted, is declared to constitute a public nuisance which may be abated as such in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4480959; v4 updated 2025-09-22).
Full Breakdown
Section 8.20.010 grounds Upland's abandoned-vehicle program in the authority the state gives cities under Vehicle Code Section 22660 to remove abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles as public nuisances. The council's own findings, written into the section, tie the presence of such a vehicle to reduced property values, blight, fire hazard, an attractive nuisance to children, and harborage for rodents and insects. Three exceptions keep the rule from reaching ordinary garages and licensed businesses: a vehicle completely enclosed in a building and not visible from the street, a vehicle stored or parked lawfully in connection with a licensed dismantler, dealer, or junk dealer's business, and a vehicle behind a solid six-foot fence or otherwise not plainly visible from a highway are all exempted under Section 8.20.020.
When a violation is found, Section 8.20.080 requires a 10-day notice of intention to abate, mailed by registered mail to both the landowner and the vehicle's registered owner. Either owner can request a public hearing within that 10-day window under Section 8.20.090, and the hearing officer, appointed by the city manager, decides whether the vehicle is a nuisance and who pays the administrative and removal costs; a landowner who shows the vehicle was dumped without consent is not charged. Any interested party can appeal the hearing officer's decision to the city council within five days under Section 8.20.100.
Once the order is final, Section 8.20.110 allows disposal to a scrap yard or dismantler, and Section 8.20.120 requires notice to the DMV within five days of removal.
Violations & Fines
Unpaid administrative and removal costs assessed under this chapter become a special assessment against the parcel under Section 8.20.130 if not paid within 30 days of the final order, transmitted to the county tax collector with the same priority as other city taxes. Vehicles ordered removed go to a scrap yard or dismantler under Section 8.20.110 and, once removed, may not be reconstructed or made operable again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Upland remove a wrecked car from my property?
Is my project car exempt if it's behind a fence?
Can I fight a notice that my land has an abandoned vehicle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Upland
California rules heatmap·Compare Upland to another location·View the California parking rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Abandoned Vehicles in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle abandoned vehicles.