{"title":"Armstrong unsightly property rules and how to report","question":"How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in Armstrong?","slug":"unsightly-property","place":{"path":"ca/bc/armstrong","name":"Armstrong","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"bylaws-and-complaints","name":"Bylaws, noise and complaints"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"City of Armstrong","url":"https://www.cityofarmstrong.bc.ca"},"short_answer":"To report an unsightly or overgrown property in the City of Armstrong, use the complaint form on the City's bylaw page or call City Hall at 250-546-3023, with your name and contact details. The Good Neighbour Bylaw treats grass or weeds over 20.32 cm (8 inches) as unsightly.","aliases":["overgrown lawn armstrong","junk yard neighbour armstrong","derelict vehicle armstrong","tall grass bylaw armstrong"],"cost":"Municipal ticket $150, or $100 if paid within 30 days, for an unsightly property or for failing to maintain the boulevard. If the City does the clean-up, the owner pays its costs.","how_long":null,"where":[{"type":"online","label":"Bylaw complaint form","value":"https://www.cityofarmstrong.bc.ca/departments/bylaw-enforcement/"},{"type":"phone","label":"City Hall","value":"250-546-3023"},{"type":"email","label":"City Hall","value":"info@cityofarmstrong.bc.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Good Neighbour Bylaw 1829, 2018, consolidated (PDF)","url":"https://armstrong.civicweb.net/document/161485"}],"related":[{"slug":"noise-rules","title":"Armstrong noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/armstrong/noise-rules/"},{"slug":"bylaw-fines","title":"Armstrong bylaw fines and how tickets work","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/armstrong/bylaw-fines/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/spallumcheen","name":"Spallumcheen","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/spallumcheen/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/enderby","name":"Enderby","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/enderby/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/vernon","name":"Vernon","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vernon/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/coldstream","name":"Coldstream","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/coldstream/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/lumby","name":"Lumby","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lumby/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/lake-country","name":"Lake Country","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/lake-country/unsightly-property/"}],"topic":{"title":"Unsightly property fines in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/unsightly-property/"},"facts":{"what_counts":{"label":"What counts","value":"The owner, occupier or tenant must not let property become or stay unsightly. Unsightly includes: stored building material (no building permit, not covered); derelict or unlicensed vehicles unless in a carport/garage out of sight; accumulations of refuse, dead vegetation, noxious weeds, grass or weeds over 20.32 cm (8 in.) or overgrowth; graffiti; and tents or tarps hiding unsightly items.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://armstrong.civicweb.net/document/161485","title":"Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 1829, 2018, consolidated (PDF), City of Armstrong","section":"s. 4.1","quotes":["No owner, occupier or tenant of real property will allow or permit the property to become or remain unsightly."]},{"url":"https://armstrong.civicweb.net/document/161485","title":"Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 1829, 2018, consolidated (PDF), City of Armstrong","section":"s. 1.6 (Unsightly)","quotes":["presence of grass or weeds exceeding 20.32 centimetres","allowing or permitting graffiti on walls, fences or elsewhere on or adjacent to a public","the use of a tent, canopy, shelter and/or tarp or similar product to store or conceal"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"how_to_report":{"label":"How to report","value":"Use the complaint form on the City's Bylaw Compliance & Services page, or call City Hall at 250-546-3023. Give your name, address, phone and email, the address of the complaint and a description; anonymous complaints are not accepted.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.cityofarmstrong.bc.ca/departments/bylaw-enforcement/","title":"Bylaw Compliance and Services, City of Armstrong","section":"Bylaw Compliance & Services page","quotes":["Please complete the form below or call City Hall:","Phone: 250-546-3023 Please Note: Anonymous complaints are not accepted.","Address of Complaint Description of concern"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"process":{"label":"What happens next","value":"A Bylaw Enforcement Officer may issue an order, served personally or by registered mail, setting a deadline to comply. If it is not met, the City may do the work at the owner's cost; unpaid costs after a 30-day demand can be added to the property tax roll. The City aims first for voluntary compliance.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://armstrong.civicweb.net/document/161485","title":"Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 1829, 2018, consolidated (PDF), City of Armstrong","section":"s. 4.8, 4.9, 4.12, 4.13","quotes":["may issue an order requiring the owner or person responsible for the real property to","sufficient if a copy of the order","may at all reasonable times and in a reasonable manner, enter the real property and bring about","within 30 days of receipt of a demand for payment by the City","the City may have the costs added to the real property tax roll"]},{"url":"https://www.cityofarmstrong.bc.ca/departments/bylaw-enforcement/","title":"Bylaw Compliance and Services, City of Armstrong","section":"Bylaw Compliance & Services page","quotes":["The City works toward voluntary compliance whenever possible."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Municipal ticket \"Unsightly\" (s. 4.1): $150, or $100 if paid within 30 days of receiving the ticket. Failure to maintain boulevard (s. 4.4): $150 ($100).","short":"Ticket $150 ($100 if paid in 30 days)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://armstrong.civicweb.net/document/165574","title":"Municipal Ticket Information System Bylaw No. 1889, 2022, consolidated (PDF), City of Armstrong","section":"Schedule 6","quotes":["Unsightly 4.1 $150.00 $100.00","Failure to maintain 4.4 (a, b, c, $150.00 $100.00"]},{"url":"https://armstrong.civicweb.net/document/165574","title":"Municipal Ticket Information System Bylaw No. 1889, 2022, consolidated (PDF), City of Armstrong","section":"s. 5(b)","quotes":["Column 4 represents the fine payable if payment is received within 30 days"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"City of Armstrong Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 1829, 2018 (Part 4, Property Maintenance; definition of Unsightly amended by Bylaw No. 1900, 2022).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://armstrong.civicweb.net/document/161485","title":"Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 1829, 2018, consolidated (PDF), City of Armstrong","section":"s. 1.2","quotes":["This Bylaw may be cited as “City of Armstrong Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 1829, 2018”."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":5,"stated":5,"matched":5,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nUnder the City of Armstrong's [Good Neighbour Bylaw](https://armstrong.civicweb.net/document/161485), the owner, occupier or tenant must not let a property become or stay \"unsightly\". Enforcement is complaint-based, and the City aims first for voluntary compliance.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Use the complaint form on the Bylaw Compliance and Services page, or call 250-546-3023. Give your name, address, phone and email, the address of the property and a description. Anonymous complaints are not accepted.\n2. A Bylaw Enforcement Officer may issue an order, served personally or by registered mail, with a deadline to comply.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Unsightly includes, but is not limited to: stored building material without a building permit and not covered; derelict or unlicensed vehicles unless in a carport or garage out of sight; piles of refuse; dead vegetation; noxious weeds; grass or weeds over 20.32 cm (8 in.) or overgrowth; graffiti; and tents or tarps hiding unsightly items.\n- The City may exempt managed natural landscapes. Normal farm practices are exempt.\n- Owners must also keep the boulevard beside their property clean, trimmed and free of noxious weeds.\n- If an order is not met, the City may do the work at the owner's cost. Costs unpaid after a 30-day demand can be added to the property tax roll.\n- For repeat non-compliance on vacant land in the same calendar year, the City may do the work without notice.","sources":[{"url":"https://armstrong.civicweb.net/document/161485","title":"Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 1829, 2018, consolidated (PDF), City of Armstrong","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://armstrong.civicweb.net/document/165574","title":"Municipal Ticket Information System Bylaw No. 1889, 2022, consolidated (PDF), City of Armstrong","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.cityofarmstrong.bc.ca/departments/bylaw-enforcement/","title":"Bylaw Compliance and Services, City of Armstrong","accessed":"2026-11-05"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-05","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 5 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/armstrong/unsightly-property/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/armstrong/unsightly-property.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/armstrong/unsightly-property.json"}}