City of El Centro

Community Development Department

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Frequently Asked Questions.

What is a violation?

Code Enforcement administers an enforcement program that investigates and corrects violations of the City’s Municipal Codes that govern the use and maintenance of private, residential property and commericial property. Code Enforcement also investigates and conducts inspections involving vehicle abatement, blight and nuisance, weed abatement, unsafe, illegal or unlicensed construction or conversions, and illegal dumping.

Here are examples of some of the code violations that we investigate:

Parking in yards

Vehicles may not be parked on the lawn or dirt. Vehicles can be parked in your driveway if they are licensed and operational.

Weeds and overgrown vegetation

Dead, decayed or diseased weeds, shrubs or brush…overgrown vegetation likely to harbor rats, mice or other vermin.

Lot abatement

Vacant lots are to be free of trash, debris and dry vegetation.

Trash and Debris

Lumber, reuse, abandoned, discarded or unused objects or equipment such as furniture and appliances, cannot be visible from the public right-of-way nor be stored as to constitute a health or safety hazard.

What is not a violation?

Code Enforcement does not handle neighbor disputes or civil problems involving one individual against another that do not violate public law. Examples of civil issues are: fencing repair disputes; overhanging tree branches (when one neighbor’s trees or plants drop leaves, debris or cause damage to another’s property); enforcement of private conditions, convenants and restrictions.


Enforcement Options:

If a code violations occurs, the following are options Code Enforcement Officer may use to ensure compliance:Notice of violations, correction notices, inspection notices and order, summary abatement, citations, inspection and abatement warrants, and warnings.

Twelve Ways to Improve Your Neigborhood Right Now.

  1. Report crime promptly
  2. Report nuisances and other non-criminal problems promptly
  3. Take away the opportunity for crime.
  4. Meet the youth who live on your block and know them by name.
  5. Make a list of the names and phone numbers of every neighbor on your block.
  6. Make a list of landlords in your areas as well.
  7. Turn your porch light on.8. Walk around the block.
  8. Drive slowly on neighborhood streets.
  9. Pick up the litter near your home, even if you didn’t put it there.
  10. Help your neighborhood association or similar groups.
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