We all see them — those knee-high patches of weeds that diminish a neighborhood’s beauty and contribute to fire hazards. They took off with the recent rain and are now left to brown in the spring and summer. But just whose problem are they?
Property owners are responsible for clearing weeds on their properties. The City of Oceanside Code Enforcement Division may send notices to owners requiring the removal of overgrown vegetation. If you receive a notice, please clear your property of weeds by the compliance date. If you do not clear the violation, you may be fined. The citations will increase progressively. If your property remains unmaintained, it may also be subject to abatement. This means the City’s contractor will clear the weeds and you will be billed for the work as well as staff time to coordinate the abatement. The City of Oceanside encourages you to make your own abatement arrangements prior to the deadline on your notice.
As a safety reminder, the best time to do your clearance is before 10:00 a.m. – not in the heat of the day, or when the wind is blowing. Also, use a weed trimmer for dry or tall grass. A rock hidden in grass or weeds is enough to start a fire when struck by the metal blade of a lawn mower.
In the interest of a fire safe and beautiful community, let’s all do our part to keep Oceanside free of fire danger and a nice place to live. Complaints of properties in need of weed abatement can be reported by emailing CustomerCare@oceansideca.org, by calling (760) 435-4500, or by getting the free “My Oceanside” City app and reporting issues 24/7.
