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HomeHealth and Safety CodeDiv. 3Ch. 1Art. 5§ 2065 Property Nuisance Cost Recovery

§ 2065 Property Nuisance Cost Recovery

Health and Safety Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 2065 Property Nuisance Cost Recovery

Key Takeaways

  • •If the government cleans up a messy or dangerous property, the owner has to pay for it.
  • •If the owner doesn’t pay within 60 days, the cost gets added to their property taxes.
  • •The government can put a lien on the property (like a debt) if the owner doesn’t pay.
  • •If the property is sold to a new owner before the tax deadline, the old owner still owes the money, but it’s not tied to the property anymore.

Example

Your neighbor’s yard is full of trash and rats, so the city cleans it up.

You (the owner) have to pay the city back for the cleanup. If you don’t pay in 60 days, the city adds the cost to your property taxes. If you still don’t pay, they can put a lien on your house, meaning you can’t sell it without paying the debt first.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 2065 Property Nuisance Cost Recovery

(a)  The owner of the property abated pursuant to Section 2061 shall pay the district for the cost of abating the public nuisance and the cost of any necessary actions to prevent the recurrence of the public nuisance. The owner shall also pay any civil penalty imposed pursuant to Section 2063. (b)  If the owner of the property fails to pay the district’s costs within 60 days, the board of trustees may order the costs and any civil penalties charged and collected against the property. The charge shall be collected at the same time and in the same manner as ordinary county taxes are collected, and shall be subject to the same penalties and the same procedure and sale in case of delinquency as are provided for ordinary county taxes. All laws applicable to the levy, collection, and enforcement of county taxes are applicable to the costs and civil penalties charged and collected against the property. (c)  If the board of trustees charges the costs and any civil penalties against the parcel, the board of trustees may also cause the notice of abatement lien to be recorded. The notice shall, at a minimum, identify the record owner of the property, set forth the last known address of the record owner, set forth the date upon which the abatement of the public nuisance was ordered by the board of trustees, set forth the date upon which the abatement and any necessary actions to prevent the recurrence of the public nuisance was complete, and include a description of the real property subject to the lien and the amount of the cost and any civil penalties. (d)  However, if the board of trustees does not cause the recordation of a notice of abatement lien pursuant to subdivision (c), and any real property to which the costs and any civil penalties relate has been transferred or conveyed to a bona fide purchaser for value, or a lien on a bona fide encumbrancer for value has been created and attaches to that property, prior to the date on which the first installment of county taxes would become delinquent, then the cost and any civil penalties may not result in a lien against that real property but shall be transferred to the unsecured roll for collection. (e)  Recordation of a notice of abatement lien pursuant to subdivision (c) shall have the same effect as recordation of an abstract of a money judgment recorded pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 697.310) of Chapter 2 of Division 2 of Title 9 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The lien created shall have the same priority as a judgment lien on real property and shall continue in effect until released. Upon order of the board of trustees, an abatement lien created under this section may be released or subordinated in the same manner as a judgment lien on real property may be released or subordinated. (Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 395, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2003.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

nuisancejudgmentenforcementabatementpropertylienclaimdanger

Related Statutes

  • § 14931 Property Maintenance Liens
  • § 17980.2 Receiver Lien Notification Requirements
  • § 2061 Vector Nuisance Abatement Notice
  • § 2066 Public Agency Nuisance Costs
  • § 2067 County Lien Revenue Distribution

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Health and Safety Code. Section 2065.
View Official Source