Shasta County, CA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Nuisance trigger
- Any Shasta County Code violation
- Notice period
- At least 5 calendar days
- Hearing body
- Board of Supervisors
- Cost recovery
- Special assessment + parcel lien
- Governing chapter
- Shasta County Code Ch. 8.28
Summary
Any violation of Shasta County's code, or of Division 4 or 18 of the state Food and Agricultural Code, is declared a public nuisance under Section 8.28.010. That covers everything from a substandard building to blighted junk accumulation. The county serves a written abatement notice giving the property owner at least five calendar days to fix the problem voluntarily before the county steps in.
Every violation of any regulatory or prohibitory provision contained in Division 4 or 18 of the Food and Agricultural Code of the State of California, or of this Code, is expressly declared to be a public nuisance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code: Supplement 22).
Full Breakdown
010 of the Shasta County Code declares that every violation of any regulatory or prohibitory provision contained in Division 4 or 18 of the Food and Agricultural Code of the State of California, or of the county code, is a public nuisance. 060 for structures that endanger life, health, or safety. 030 requires a written notice served on the owner or occupant, mailed and posted at the site if personal service fails. 050. 060 lets the county abate the nuisance itself and recover the costs of inspection, notifications and service, agency staff time, actual work done, and attorney's fees by specially assessing the parcel under Government Code Section 25845, with ten days' mailed notice before the board considers the assessment.
The county can also record a notice of abatement lien against the property, which carries the force and priority of a judgment lien, and unpaid assessments accrue interest and are collected the same way as delinquent property taxes.
Violations & Fines
Ignoring an abatement notice does not end the case: Section 8.28.060 authorizes the enforcing officer to abate the nuisance directly once the notice period lapses without a hearing request, then bill the owner for inspection, staff time, actual work, and attorney's fees. Unpaid costs become a special assessment and a recorded lien on the parcel under Government Code Section 25845, collected with the same penalties as delinquent county property taxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a public nuisance under Shasta County's code?
How much time do I get to fix a cited nuisance?
Can the county put a lien on my property over a nuisance?
Do I get a hearing before the county abates a nuisance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shasta County
California rules heatmap·Compare Shasta County to another location·View the California property maintenance overview
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