San Luis Obispo County, CA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Nuisance test
- Section 108.1.5, 11 conditions
- Abatement methods
- Repair, rehabilitation, demolition or removal
- County self-help
- County can abate if owner defaults
- Confirmation hearing
- 15+ days after notice served
- Payment grace period
- 15 days before lien recorded
- Lien priority
- Parity with property tax liens
- Interference
- Separate violation, Sec. 19.80.050
Summary
San Luis Obispo County declares any building meeting the Dangerous Building Code's eleven-part test in IPMC Section 108.1.5 a public nuisance outright, then orders it repaired, rehabilitated, demolished or removed under Section 19.80.030. If the owner defaults, the County can do the work itself and bill the parcel.
A building defined as a dangerous building in Section 108.1.5 of the Dangerous Building Code is declared to be a public nuisance and shall be abated by repair, rehabilitation, demolition or removal in accordance with the procedure specified in the Dangerous Building Code. ... The cost of any demolition or repair carried out under the Dangerous Building Code, including the entire cost of the services rendered by the County, shall be charged against the real property which is the site of the structure, except as provided in this section. ... The board of supervisors may, at such hearing, order that the cost of abatement be specially assessed against the parcel, if the record owner does not pay the costs of abatement within fifteen days after the confirmation hearing and that a notice of abatement lien be recorded if payment is not made within that time.
Full Breakdown
5 if it shows any one of eleven conditions: fire, earthquake, wind or flood damage likely to cause partial or complete collapse; a foundation likely to fail; egress that is unsafe, blocked or non-conforming; construction so unsound it cannot resist one and one-half times its designed load; a dwelling made unsanitary or unfit for habitation by inadequate maintenance, light, ventilation or plumbing; or an abandoned structure that has become an attractive nuisance to children. 030 converts any of those findings into a declared public nuisance, abated by the Dangerous Building Code's own procedure rather than a generic nuisance action.
020(6). 020(8) lets the code official ask the Board of Supervisors for an order allowing the County to vacate, repair or demolish the building itself, sell salvage, and clean the lot, returning any surplus sale proceeds to the rightful owner. 040 then recovers cost: the code official keeps an itemized account, serves notice of the proposed assessment at least fifteen days before a Board confirmation hearing, and if the owner has not paid within fifteen days after that hearing, the Board can specially assess the parcel and record a notice of abatement lien with the County Recorder, at parity with property tax liens under Government Code Section 25845.
Violations & Fines
Ignoring a correction order lets the County itself vacate, repair or demolish the structure and charge every dollar of that work to the property. Unpaid abatement costs become a special assessment collected on the regular tax roll, carrying the same delinquency penalties, interest and foreclosure exposure as ordinary property taxes once recorded as a lien. Separately, Section 19.80.050 makes it a violation to hinder or interfere with the code official's enforcement work.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a building "dangerous" under San Luis Obispo County's code?
Who pays if the County ends up fixing or demolishing the building?
Can an owner appeal a dangerous-building notice?
Does an abatement lien beat a mortgage on the property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Luis Obispo County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Luis Obispo County to another location·View the California property maintenance overview
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