West Covina : Crackdown on Blighted Lots

A so-called “public nuisance ordinance” adopted this week allows the city to clean up blighted residential front yards and business lots and then bill the property owners. Owners who don’t pay could have liens placed against their property.

The law, which takes effect in 30 days, allows the city to clean up residential and commercial properties made unsightly by trash, overgrown vegetation and other objects if the owners cannot be reached, refuse to cooperate with the city or are physically incapable of doing the work.

In the past, city officials have relied on existing laws to force property owners to clean up their messes. The problem, officials said, was that in many cases the owners could not be reached or were not physically able to do the job.

The lien is not automatic. City officials will first contact the property owners, notifying them that they have a certain amount of time--it will vary depending on the severity of the problem--to spruce up their lots. If the work is not completed in a timely manner, the officials will call a public hearing. At that time the City Council would consider whether to implement a property lien.