Cupertino requires vacant and open private lots to be kept free of weeds, combustible vegetation, and litter. Weed and fire-hazard growth is abated under Municipal Code Chapter 9.08 through the Santa Clara County program, and dumping litter on vacant private property is prohibited by CMC 9.18.215.
Vacant parcels face the same nuisance standards as occupied ones. Chapter 9.08 (Weed Abatement) declares weeds and the accumulation of garden refuse, cuttings, and other combustible trash on private property a public nuisance; working with the Santa Clara County Department of Agriculture's program, the City notices owners and can order removal by cutting, discing, or spraying, charging costs as a lien if the owner fails to act. CMC 9.18.215 separately makes it 'unlawful to throw or deposit litter on any open or vacant private property within the City whether or not the property is owned by such person.' General blight on vacant lots falls under the Chapter 1.09 nuisance process. Owners are also responsible for the fronting sidewalk under litter-control
Overgrown weeds on vacant lots trigger the County weed-abatement notice-and-lien process under CMC Chapter 9.08. Illegal dumping on vacant private property violates CMC 9.18.215 and California Penal Code 374.4, enforced by citation and cleanup-cost recovery.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Under California's SB 1383, Cupertino residents and businesses must keep food scraps and yard trimmings out of the trash and use Recology South Bay's organic...
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Artificial turf is not counted as drought-tolerant landscaping in California, and under SB 676 (Government Code 53087.7) cities like Cupertino may regulate s...
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Cupertino's Water-Efficient Landscape Ordinance (Municipal Code Chapter 14.15) implements California's MWELO and caps turf at 25% of landscape area, favoring...
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Cupertino places no ban on residential rainwater harvesting and actively encourages on-site rainwater and graywater capture in its Water-Efficient Landscape ...
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Cupertino has permanent water-waste prohibitions under Municipal Code Chapter 15.32, banning runoff, hosing pavement, and un-nozzled hoses. Water is supplied...
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Cupertino declares overgrown weeds and dry brush a fire nuisance under Municipal Code Chapter 9.08, enforced through a Santa Clara County weed abatement prog...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Santa Clara County.
See how other cities in Santa Clara County handle vacant lot maintenance.
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