Lewis County, WA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- LCC § 1.22.020(7)(b)(vi)
- Covers
- Street/sidewalk blockage, drainage, debris, plant growth
- Eviction property deadline
- 24 hours to remove from right-of-way
- Landlord removal deadline
- 48 hours after notice, or county abates
- Lien interest rate
- 10 percent per year on abatement costs
- Exempt uses
- Authorized events, parades, county-sanctioned street use
Summary
In unincorporated Lewis County, blocking a public street or sidewalk, or letting drainage, debris or plant growth spill onto one, is declared a public nuisance under LCC § 1.22.020(7)(b)(vi). The rule also reaches property left on a right-of-way more than 24 hours after a court-ordered eviction. County directors can order the obstruction removed or abate it directly.
Obstructions to the public right-of-way including, but not limited to, use of property abutting a public street or sidewalk or use of a public street or sidewalk which causes any obstruction to traffic or to open access to the streets or sidewalks. This subsection shall not apply to events, parades, or the use of the streets or public rights-of-way when authorized by the county. This section includes the existence of drainage onto or over any sidewalk, street or public right-of-way, and the existence of any debris or plant growth on sidewalks adjacent to any property, and any personal property and/or solid waste that has been placed onto a public right-of-way pursuant to a court-ordered eviction per Title 59 RCW which has not been removed after 24 hours;
Full Breakdown
22's nuisance definitions, targets obstructions to the public right-of-way, a category reaching both the use of property abutting a street or sidewalk and use of the street or sidewalk itself that blocks traffic or open access. It expressly covers drainage running onto or over a sidewalk, street or right-of-way, and debris or plant growth encroaching on a sidewalk from an adjacent property, meaning an untrimmed hedge or a broken drain that puts water across a public walk can trigger enforcement the same as a pile of construction material.
040 gives the landlord or owner 48 hours after notice to clear it before the county abates it and bills the landlord. Authorized events, parades, and county-sanctioned uses of the street are explicitly excluded. 030, summarily abate an immediate hazard without prior notice, and recover the county's costs, personnel time, contractor charges and 10 percent annual interest, as a lien recorded within 90 days.
Violations & Fines
Costs of clearing an obstruction become a lien against the property, recorded within 90 days of the work under § 1.22.030(5)(a), carrying 10 percent annual interest and outranking every claim except state and county tax liens. A landlord who ignores the 48-hour notice under § 1.22.040 to remove evicted property from the right-of-way faces county abatement billed directly to them, and anyone who obstructs the county's abatement crew commits a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine under § 1.22.030(4).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Lewis County cite me for blocking a sidewalk in the unincorporated county?
What happens to property left on the right-of-way after an eviction?
Does a county-sanctioned parade violate the sidewalk obstruction rule?
Who enforces the sidewalk obstruction rule and what can they do?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lewis County
Compare Lewis County to another location·View the Washington sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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