Yuba County, CA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Yuba County's Property Maintenance Ordinance, Chapter 7.36, applies to all real property in the unincorporated area, including vacant and unimproved parcels. Under Section 7.36.310, a public nuisance includes accumulations of junk, trash, debris, scrap metal, refuse, rubbish, and abandoned objects; property not kept free from accumulations of offensive matter (including dead animals and animal waste); property likely to or that does harbor rats, vectors, feral cats, or other non-domesticated animal nuisances; and the maintenance or use of property in violation of the County Code, State law, or Federal law. That last clause incorporates California's weed and rubbish abatement statutes (Government Code Sec. 39500 et seq. and Sec. 39560 et seq.), which authorize local governments to require abatement of weeds and rubbish that constitute a fire or health hazard. The duty runs to every owner regardless of possession (Sec. 7.36.220), so an absentee owner of a vacant lot is responsible for keeping it clear. Enforcement follows the Chapter 7.36 administrative process — inspection, Notice and Order to Abate (Sec. 7.36.625) with a 10-day window to request a hearing before the County Hearing Officer, accrual of administrative penalties (Sec. 7.36.420) if unabated, and recovery of County abatement costs as a special assessment lien on the parcel.