Merced, CA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

The incorporated City of Merced (the Merced County seat, population about 86,000) regulates blighted and poorly maintained property through its own Municipal Code, separate from Merced County rules. Chapter 8.40 (Nuisance) of Title 8 (Health and Safety), at Section 8.40.070 (Maintenance of property; nuisances), lists conditions declared public nuisances. These include the existence of accumulations of waste paper, hay, grass, dirt, straw, weeds, litter or combustible trash upon premises or the public sidewalks, streets or areas in front of the premises; dead, decayed, diseased or hazardous trees, weeds and other vegetation that is dangerous to public safety and welfare or tends to depreciate the aesthetic and property values of surrounding properties; and accumulations of dirt, soil, vegetation, building materials, chemicals, combustible materials, trash or other debris emanating from real property onto the city's streets and sidewalks. Enforcement is handled by the city's Code Enforcement division. Per a city source, building owners are legally required to maintain their buildings and property to the standards in the City Housing, Dangerous Building and Property Maintenance Codes; Code Enforcement addresses structures that are dangerous, substandard, blighted or vacant. Code Enforcement can be reached at 209-385-6855. These are City of Merced ordinances; specific fine amounts were not located in a fetched city source and are not stated here.