Huntington Park, CA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

The vacant-lot rule is part of the Property Maintenance item (item 18) of § 9-3.103, the General standards section of the Zoning Code in Title 9 of the Huntington Park Municipal Code, adopted by the City Council of the City of Huntington Park in Los Angeles County. It opens with a rule for all land: all property must be maintained in a clean, sanitary and litter-free condition at all times, and removal of dirt, debris, weeds and trash must occur on a regular basis. The code prints no mowing height or fixed weed-cutting interval, so the standard is regular removal and a litter-free condition at all times.

Vacant lots carry an added duty. They must provide a perimeter fence to control ingress and egress as required by the Director. The code does not print a fence material or design, so the Director sets the requirement lot by lot. Perimeter fences and walls cannot exceed six feet in height under the height standards in item 12 of the same section, measured from finished grade, and fence construction or repair must comply with Title 8, Chapter 3 of the Municipal Code. All property must also be graded or managed to prevent surface water runoff.

Storage is restricted as well. Item 16 states that no storage shall occur on any vacant parcel, and it bars storing or displaying vehicles for sale on any vacant parcel, except by a business owner or employee during normal working hours or as part of a permitted used vehicle sales operation. Loose rubbish, garbage, junk, tents and building or manufacturing materials are listed among the items that cannot be visibly stored on a parcel.

Structures on the property fall under the same item: damage or deterioration, peeling paint and graffiti must be repaired as soon as possible, and graffiti must be removed within 72 hours by the owner or occupant.

The consequence is nuisance abatement. Any property or structure not properly maintained is considered a public nuisance and is abated in compliance with Chapter 2 of Title 1 or other applicable sections of the Code. Under § 1-2.01 a violation is a misdemeanor unless described as an infraction, punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, and each day a condition continues is a separate offense. The City can also use the administrative citation procedure in Chapter 5 of Title 1, which sets a 15-calendar-day payment window after issuance.