{"title":"Castlegar unsightly property rules and how to report","question":"How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in Castlegar?","slug":"unsightly-property","place":{"path":"ca/bc/castlegar","name":"Castlegar","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 Castlegar","url":"https://www.castlegar.ca"},"short_answer":"Report an unsightly or overgrown property in Castlegar through the City's online Bylaw Violation Complaint form or to the Bylaw Enforcement Officer at 250-365-8963. Good Neighbour Bylaw 1449 lets the City order the owner to fix it within 30 days, and a ticket is $100.","aliases":["overgrown lawn castlegar","junk yard neighbour castlegar","castlegar property maintenance bylaw","derelict vehicle castlegar","tall grass vacant lot castlegar"],"cost":"$100 municipal ticket for a property maintenance violation (Municipal Ticketing Bylaw 1179).","how_long":"Complaints may take up to 5 business days to get a response. A written order gives the owner 30 days.","where":[{"type":"online","label":"Bylaw Violation Complaint form","value":"https://castlegar.ca/services/bylaw-enforcement/report-a-bylaw-violation/"},{"type":"phone","label":"Bylaw Enforcement Officer","value":"250-365-8963"},{"type":"email","label":"Bylaw Enforcement Officer","value":"bylaw@castlegar.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Good Neighbour Bylaw 1449 (in the March 23, 2026 Council agenda) (PDF)","url":"https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Regular-Agenda_March-23-2026.pdf"}],"related":[{"slug":"bylaw-fines","title":"Castlegar bylaw fines and how tickets work","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/bylaw-fines/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/fruitvale","name":"Fruitvale","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/fruitvale/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/trail","name":"Trail","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/trail/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/warfield","name":"Warfield","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/warfield/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/rossland","name":"Rossland","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/rossland/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/montrose","name":"Montrose","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/montrose/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/nelson","name":"Nelson","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/nelson/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":"Owners and occupiers must not let property become unsightly: filth, rubbish or graffiti; broken or rotting fences; dead or overgrown landscaping; grass or weeds over 30 cm; wrecked vehicles; stored old materials, appliances or building supplies in view; or run-down buildings (ss. 2, 6.1, 6.6).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Regular-Agenda_March-23-2026.pdf","title":"Council agenda, March 23, 2026 (includes Good Neighbour Bylaw 1449) (PDF)","section":"Good Neighbour Bylaw 1449, Part 2 and ss. 6.1, 6.6","quotes":["No Owner or Occupier of Real Property shall allow grass or weeds on their Real Property to exceed a height of 30 centimetres.","c) landscaping that is dead or characterized by uncontrolled growth;"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"how_to_report":{"label":"How to report","value":"Submit a Bylaw Violation Complaint online (name, email, phone, date, address and a description), or contact the Bylaw Enforcement Officer at bylaw@castlegar.ca or 250-365-8963. Reports are held in confidence; a response may take up to 5 business days.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://castlegar.ca/services/bylaw-enforcement/report-a-bylaw-violation/","title":"Report a Bylaw Violation, City of Castlegar","section":"City page: Report a Bylaw Violation","quotes":["you can submit a Bylaw Violation Complaint.","bylaw@castlegar.ca or 250-365-8963","Information collected through our online form or through our Bylaw Enforcement Officer will be held in confidence"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"process":{"label":"What happens next","value":"A written order (mailed, posted or delivered) gives the owner 30 days to fix it at their expense (s. 6.10). If not done, the City may do the work after the owner can be heard by Council, bill the owner, and add unpaid costs to property taxes (s. 6.11). Tickets may also be issued (s. 7.7).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Regular-Agenda_March-23-2026.pdf","title":"Council agenda, March 23, 2026 (includes Good Neighbour Bylaw 1449) (PDF)","section":"Good Neighbour Bylaw 1449, ss. 6.10-6.11","quotes":["Authorized Representative of the City may, by notice in writing sent by registered mail, posted on the property, or delivered in person, order the owner or occupier of real property, at their expense and within thirty (30) days of the mailing or posting of the Order, to:","treat the costs of doing so as unpaid property taxes owing"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Municipal ticket: $100 for 'Property Maintenance violations' (s. 6) and $100 for 'Nuisance Abatement violations' (s. 7); an 'Excessive Nuisance Abatement Fee' (s. 7.9) is $200.","short":"Ticket $100","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Consolidated.Branded.Bylaw_.1179.Municipal-Ticketing-2.pdf","title":"Municipal Ticketing Bylaw 1179, consolidated to June 2026 (PDF)","section":"Schedule B-5 (Good Neighbour Bylaw)","quotes":["6 Property Maintenance violations $100","7 Nuisance Abatement violations $100","7.9 Excessive Nuisance Abatement Fee $200"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 1449, 2026 (effective March 23, 2026). It replaced Property Maintenance Bylaw 1120.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://castlegar.ca/2026/04/01/council-highlights-march-23-2026/","title":"Council Highlights, March 23, 2026, City of Castlegar","section":"Council Highlights, March 23, 2026","quotes":["Council adopted Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 1449"]},{"url":"https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Regular-Agenda_March-23-2026.pdf","title":"Council agenda, March 23, 2026 (includes Good Neighbour Bylaw 1449) (PDF)","section":"Good Neighbour Bylaw 1449, title and Part 9","quotes":["This Bylaw may be cited as the “City of Castlegar Good Neighbour Bylaw 1449, 2026.”","Property Maintenance Bylaw 1120 and all amendments to are hereby repealed."]}],"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 [Good Neighbour Bylaw 1449](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Regular-Agenda_March-23-2026.pdf) (effective March 23, 2026, replacing Property Maintenance Bylaw 1120), owners and occupiers in the City of Castlegar must not let property become unsightly.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Note the address and what you see.\n2. Submit the online Bylaw Violation Complaint form, or email or call the Bylaw Enforcement Officer. Reports are held in confidence.\n3. The City sends the owner a written order (mailed, posted or delivered) giving 30 days to fix it at their own expense.\n4. If it is not done, the City may do the work after the owner can be heard by Council, bill the owner, and add unpaid costs to the property taxes. Tickets may also be issued.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- **Unsightly includes:** filth, rubbish or graffiti; broken or rotting fences; dead or overgrown landscaping; grass or weeds over 30 cm; wrecked vehicles; old materials, appliances or building supplies stored in view; and run-down buildings.\n- Tickets under [Municipal Ticketing Bylaw 1179](https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Consolidated.Branded.Bylaw_.1179.Municipal-Ticketing-2.pdf): $100 for property maintenance (section 6) and $100 for nuisance abatement (section 7). An excessive nuisance abatement fee is $200.","sources":[{"url":"https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Regular-Agenda_March-23-2026.pdf","title":"Council agenda, March 23, 2026 (includes Good Neighbour Bylaw 1449) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://castlegar.ca/2026/04/01/council-highlights-march-23-2026/","title":"Council Highlights, March 23, 2026, City of Castlegar","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://castlegar.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Consolidated.Branded.Bylaw_.1179.Municipal-Ticketing-2.pdf","title":"Municipal Ticketing Bylaw 1179, consolidated to June 2026 (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://castlegar.ca/services/bylaw-enforcement/report-a-bylaw-violation/","title":"Report a Bylaw Violation, City of Castlegar","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/castlegar/unsightly-property/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/unsightly-property.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/castlegar/unsightly-property.json"}}