Whittier, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Summary removal authority
- City engineer may abate without prior hearing
- Covered items
- Refuse, debris, traffic hazards, ROW blockages
- Retrieval window
- 10+ days for items of more than nominal value
- Notice deadline
- 48 hours to remove after notice
- Cost recovery
- Becomes a lien collected like property taxes
Summary
Whittier's city engineer can summarily remove, or order the removal of, any encroachment blocking a public sidewalk or right-of-way, including refuse, traffic hazards, and abandoned property, and can bill the removal cost to the responsible owner as a lien on the property, under WMC § 17.18.020.
A.The city engineer, or his/her designee, may immediately and summarily abate, remove, or by notice may require the removal of any of the following encroachments:1.Any encroachment which prevents and/or interferes with the use of any public right-of-way by the public;2.Any encroachment which consists of refuse, trash, garbage, construction debris, or containers for refuse, trash, garbage, or construction debris (except for garbage receptacles on designated trash pick-up days or in connection with official trash collection);3.Any encroachment which presents a potential traffic hazard;4.Any encroachment of public property... [17.18.040] shall require the removal of such encroachment within forty-eight hours or such longer period of time as the city engineer deems appropriate.
Full Breakdown
020(A) lets the city engineer immediately and summarily abate or remove four categories of encroachment without a prior hearing: anything that interferes with public use of a right-of-way, refuse or debris and their containers (except designated trash pickup), anything presenting a traffic hazard, and any encroachment of public property. For items of more than nominal value, the engineer must attempt to identify and notify the owner and give at least ten days to retrieve it before disposing of, selling, or destroying it. 040 specifies that notice must describe the encroachment's location and extent and give forty-eight hours to remove it, or longer at the engineer's discretion.
050, and unpaid costs become a special assessment recorded with the county recorder that turns into a lien on the property, collected the same way as property taxes; unpaid abatement costs can also block issuance of a future land-use approval on that property. 060. 6.
Violations & Fines
Placing or authorizing an encroachment in a Whittier street or on public property violates §17.18.090 and is punishable under the penalties in Chapter 17.20. Beyond any fine, the city recovers its removal and storage costs from the responsible owner as a special assessment that becomes a lien against the property, and unpaid abatement costs can block a landowner from obtaining a future land-use approval, per §17.18.050(C)-(D).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Whittier remove something I left on the sidewalk?
How long do I have to remove an encroachment after notice?
Who pays if the city has to remove my property from the right-of-way?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Whittier
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Obstruction Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle obstruction rules.