Whittier, CA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Substandard conditions listed
- 12 categories in §8.08.022
- Nuisance declaration
- §8.08.030, any substandard/blighted condition
- Hearing notice period
- 10 days' written notice (§8.08.060)
- Appeal deadline
- 15 calendar days to city council (§8.08.080)
- Incomplete construction limit
- 24 months before deemed substandard
- City abatement power
- City can complete work, bill owner (§8.08.100)
Summary
Whittier's Section 8.08.022 designates a long list of substandard property conditions, unpainted or decaying structures, broken windows, overgrown weeds, junk stored in yards, unsecured pools, as unlawful. Section 8.08.030 declares any property carrying such a condition a public nuisance, triggering a hearing-officer abatement process under Chapter 8.08 that can end in city-ordered demolition or repair billed to the owner.
It is unlawful for any person owning, leasing, occupying or having charge or possession of any property in the city to maintain thereon any substandard property condition as defined by this code. Substandard property conditions shall include, but not be limited to:1.Unpainted structures or structures where the paint or other exterior finish has deteriorated so as to permit decay, excessive checking, cracking, peeling, chalking, dry rot, warping and termite infestation, rendering the building unsightly and a detriment to surrounding properties;2.Broken or missing windows or doors;...9.Structures Under Construction for Unreasonable Periods. Any structure or portion thereof which has been under construction, whether authorized by a valid construction permit or not, for a period exceeding twenty-four months from the date upon which work commenced, and where the exterior of such construction is incomplete, as determined by the building department, and presents an unfinished appearance at the exterior;
Full Breakdown
Section 8.08.022 makes it unlawful for any owner, lessee, occupant or person in charge of property to maintain a substandard property condition, and lists twelve categories: deteriorated paint or exterior finish, broken or missing windows and doors, overgrown dead or dying vegetation and weeds that are unsightly or a safety hazard, attractive nuisances such as abandoned appliances, junk and debris stored in yard areas visible from the street, clotheslines strung across front or corner-lot side yards, unenclosed or polluted swimming pools, deteriorated fences or walls, structures under construction and left incomplete for more than 24 months, abandoned or vandalized structures, unpermitted structures built without required building permits, and any maintenance so out of harmony with neighboring properties that it depreciates them.
Section 8.08.030 folds any of those conditions, plus any substandard building under the Uniform Housing Code, unstable grading, or any building maintained in violation of the zoning or building code, into a declared public nuisance. Once the city manager finds a property maintained contrary to the chapter, Section 8.08.050 sets the case for a hearing before a city-designated hearing officer, who under Section 8.08.060 must give the owner ten days' written notice by mail and post notice on the property. Section 8.08.070 lets the hearing officer take evidence and, if a nuisance is found, issue an abatement order with a deadline. Section 8.08.080 lets the owner appeal that order to the city council in writing within 15 calendar days, with a filing fee if the council has set one.
Violations & Fines
An owner who does not complete abatement in the time and manner ordered faces city abatement under Section 8.08.100: the city manager can send city crews or a private contractor onto the property to do the work, with the cost then charged against the owner under the cost-recovery procedure in Section 8.08.110. The city can also record a lis pendens against the property once a hearing is set.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a substandard property in Whittier?
What happens after Whittier declares my property a nuisance?
Can I appeal a Whittier nuisance abatement order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Whittier
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