Murrieta, CA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Any owner, lessee or occupant, vacant or not
- Prohibited condition
- Junk, debris, discarded equipment visible from view
- Unreasonable vacancy guide
- 90 days partially built/repaired
- Cost recovery
- Lien or special assessment on parcel
- 1st offense fine
- Up to $100 infraction
Summary
Murrieta Municipal Code Section 8.20.030 makes it a nuisance to let any property, occupied or vacant, accumulate junk, trash, discarded furniture or abandoned equipment visible from public view. The rule applies to anyone owning, leasing, or controlling the parcel, and the city can order cleanup, then abate and lien the property if the owner does not.
G. To maintain property containing refuse, rubbish, broken or discarded furniture or household equipment visible from Public View: This includes, but is not limited to, the keeping of or disposing of or the scattering over the property or premises of any of the following: 1. Junk, trash or debris; 2. Abandoned or discarded objects or equipment such as automobiles, furniture, stoves, refrigerators, freezers, cans, boxes or other containers.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-23: A Codification of the General Ordinances of the City of Murrieta, California through Ord. 634-26, passed 7-7-2026).
Full Breakdown
030 lists specific conditions that make property maintenance a code violation regardless of whether the lot is built on or vacant. Subsection G bars maintaining property with refuse, rubbish, or broken or discarded furniture or household equipment visible from public view, expressly including junk, trash or debris and abandoned or discarded objects such as automobiles, stoves, refrigerators, freezers, cans or boxes. Subsection P separately reaches property left in a state of disrepair or deterioration that depreciates surrounding property values, covering deteriorated structures, buildings left partially built or repaired for an unreasonable time (ninety days serves as the code's own guide), and excessive trash and debris visible from public view. 32's separate weed abatement process rather than duplicated here. 080 subject to appeal. 130.
Violations & Fines
Section 8.20.160 makes causing or maintaining the nuisance, or ignoring an abatement order, a violation punishable under Sections 1.32.010 through 1.32.020: up to a $100 fine for a first infraction, $200 for a second within a year, $500 for later violations, or prosecution as a misdemeanor with up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail. Abatement costs and attorney's fees can become a recorded lien on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Murrieta regulate junk and debris on vacant land?
How long can a partly built or damaged structure sit on a Murrieta lot?
What happens if I ignore a nuisance notice on my vacant lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Murrieta
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How other cities in Riverside County handle vacant lot maintenance.