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Anaheim, CA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Grace period before violation
10 days
Notice-to-abate window
10 days to remove
Appeal deadline
5 days to City Council
Exemptions
Enclosed building, 6-ft fence, licensed dismantler
Cost collection
Special assessment via Gov. Code §38773.5
Penalty
Misdemeanor for abandonment or refusal to abate

Summary

Anaheim treats an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicle left on private or public property, outside a highway, as a public nuisance under Municipal Code Chapter 6.80. The Council found such vehicles promote blight, invite plundering, create fire hazards, and endanger children; owners get a 10-day notice to abate before a hearing and forced removal.

The City Council does find and determine that the accumulation and storage of abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicles, or parts thereof, on private or public property, not including highways, is hereby 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 hereinafter permitted, is hereby declared to constitute a public nuisance which may be abated as such in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. The above determination is in addition to and in accordance with the authority granted by the State of California under Section 22660 of the Vehicle Code to remove abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicles, or parts thereof, as public nuisances.

Source: Anaheim Municipal Code Chapter 6.44 NuisancesView official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-28: Code: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 6627, passed 8-11-2026 | Zoning: Local legislation current through Ord. 6627, passed 8-11-2026).

Full Breakdown

80, adopted by Ordinance 2631 in 1969 under the authority the State gives cities in Vehicle Code Section 22660, makes it "the duty of any owner, lessee or occupant of any grounds or lots or any real property" in Anaheim to keep the property free of abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicles or parts. 030: a vehicle completely enclosed in a building and not visible from the street, one screened behind a solid fence at least six feet high, or one stored lawfully on the property of a licensed dismantler, vehicle dealer, or junk dealer as part of that business.

080 giving the owner, lessee, or occupant no more than 10 days to remove the vehicle before a public hearing is scheduled on abatement, administrative costs, and removal costs. 100. At the hearing, a hearing officer, the Chief of Police or a deputy, can find the vehicle a nuisance and order its removal, and may decline to assess costs against a landowner who proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the vehicle was dumped without consent. 120. 150. 170 makes it a misdemeanor to refuse to abate the nuisance once ordered.

Violations & Fines

Leaving a junk vehicle exposed for more than 10 days, or refusing to remove one after a City order, is a misdemeanor under Sections 6.80.160 and 6.80.170. Unpaid administrative and towing or removal costs are recorded as a special assessment lien against the property and sent to the County Tax Collector for collection with the same priority as property taxes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can I keep a wrecked car on my Anaheim property?
No more than 10 days unless it's completely enclosed in a building, hidden behind a solid fence at least six feet tall, or stored as part of a licensed dismantler's, dealer's, or junk dealer's business. Beyond that, it's a public nuisance and a misdemeanor under Chapter 6.80.
What happens after Anaheim issues a notice to abate a junk vehicle?
You get 10 days to remove it. If you don't, the Chief of Police schedules a public hearing on abatement and cost assessment, with notice mailed to you and to the California Highway Patrol at least 10 days beforehand under Section 6.80.090.
Can I appeal an order to remove my vehicle?
Yes. File a written notice of appeal with the hearing officer within 5 days of the decision, and the City Council will hear it under Section 6.80.120, which can affirm, amend, or reverse the removal order.
Who pays for towing a vehicle Anaheim declares a nuisance?
The City can bill the property owner or the vehicle's last registered owner, whichever is found responsible. If the bill isn't paid within 30 days, it becomes a special assessment against the parcel collected with property taxes, per Section 6.80.150.

Sources & Official References

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