{"title":"Clearwater unsightly property rules and how to report","question":"How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in Clearwater?","slug":"unsightly-property","place":{"path":"ca/bc/clearwater","name":"Clearwater","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":"District of Clearwater","url":"https://www.districtofclearwater.com"},"short_answer":"In Clearwater, report an unsightly property to the Bylaw Enforcement Officer at 250-674-2257 or bylaw@docbc.ca, in writing or with the online form, giving your name, phone number and the address. Anonymous complaints are not investigated. The ticket is $250.","aliases":["unsightly property clearwater","overgrown yard clearwater","messy property clearwater","good neighbour bylaw clearwater"],"cost":"Ticket: $250 ($200 if paid within 30 days).","how_long":"The officer sets a time to comply; the bylaw does not give a number of days.","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Bylaw Enforcement Officer","value":"250-674-2257","note":"Complaints must be in writing or on the online form, with your name and phone number. Email bylaw@docbc.ca."}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 56, 2010 (PDF), District of Clearwater","url":"https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28401/"},{"title":"Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 221, 2019 (PDF), District of Clearwater","url":"https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28332/"}],"related":[{"slug":"noise-rules","title":"Clearwater noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/noise-rules/"},{"slug":"bylaw-fines","title":"Clearwater bylaw fines and how tickets work","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/bylaw-fines/"},{"slug":"backyard-fire","title":"Clearwater backyard fire and burning rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/backyard-fire/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/barriere","name":"Barriere","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/barriere/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/sun-peaks","name":"Sun Peaks","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sun-peaks/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/chase","name":"Chase","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/chase/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/100-mile-house","name":"100 Mile House","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/100-mile-house/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/kamloops","name":"Kamloops","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kamloops/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/sicamous","name":"Sicamous","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sicamous/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":"No owner or occupier may allow water, rubbish or noxious, offensive or unwholesome matter to collect; rubbish to overflow containers; the property to become or stay unsightly or a risk to public health and safety; dead landscaping, vegetation or noxious weeds to accumulate; or construction or demolition waste to pile up on a property with a building permit. Farm operations and orderly outdoor storage permitted by zoning are excluded.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28401/","title":"Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 56, 2010 (PDF), District of Clearwater","section":"s. 3.1 and 3.2","quotes":["allow the real property to become or remain unsightly, or a risk to public health and","the accumulation of dead landscaping, vegetation, noxious weeds or other growths","does not apply to farm operations conducted in accordance with","orderly outdoor storage of goods and"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"how_to_report":{"label":"How to report","value":"Complaints must be made in writing or with the online form, with your name and phone number and the property address; anonymous complaints are not investigated. Bylaw Enforcement Officer: (250) 674-2257, bylaw@docbc.ca.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.districtofclearwater.com/residents/municipal-ticketing-information-mti/","title":"Municipal Ticketing Information (MTI), District of Clearwater","section":"Report a bylaw infraction","quotes":["If it relates to private property (noise, garbage, unsightly property, etc.) please provide the address."]},{"url":"https://www.districtofclearwater.com/municipal-hall/bylaws/","title":"Bylaws, District of Clearwater","section":"Bylaw Enforcement","quotes":["Bylaw Infraction Complaint Form","Email: bylaw@docbc.ca"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"process":{"label":"What happens next","value":"A Bylaw Compliance Officer may issue an order to comply within a time the officer considers appropriate. If the owner does not comply, the District may do the work and charge the owner's costs, including administration; unpaid costs after 30 days can be sued for or added to the property tax roll.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28401/","title":"Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 56, 2010 (PDF), District of Clearwater","section":"s. 3.3, 3.7, 3.8","quotes":["may issue an order requiring that the owner or other responsible","at the cost of the defaulting owner or other responsible person","direct that the amount of the cost be added to the real property tax roll"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Municipal ticket: $250 ($200 if paid within 30 days) for accumulations of water, rubbish or noxious matter, overflowing containers, failing to remedy an unsightly condition, dead vegetation or weeds, or construction waste.","short":"Ticket $250 ($200 if paid within 30 days)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28332/","title":"Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 221, 2019 (PDF), District of Clearwater","section":"Schedule 3 (Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 56, 2010)","quotes":["Failure to remedy unsightly or unsafe condition, as","Accumulation of vegetation, noxious weeds","250","200"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"District of Clearwater Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 56, 2010","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28401/","title":"Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 56, 2010 (PDF), District of Clearwater","section":"Citation","quotes":["“District of Clearwater Good Neighbour Bylaw"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-08"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":5,"stated":5,"matched":5,"none":0,"unknown":0},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\nThe District's [Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 56](<https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28401/>) says no owner or occupier may allow:\n\n- water, rubbish or noxious, offensive or unwholesome matter to collect;\n- rubbish to overflow containers;\n- the property to become or stay unsightly or a risk to public health and safety;\n- dead landscaping, vegetation or noxious weeds to accumulate;\n- construction or demolition waste to pile up on a property with a building permit.\n\nFarm operations and orderly outdoor storage permitted by zoning are excluded.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Complain in writing or with the online form, with your name and phone number and the property address.\n2. Or contact the Bylaw Enforcement Officer at 250-674-2257, bylaw@docbc.ca.\n3. A Bylaw Compliance Officer may order the owner to comply within a time the officer considers appropriate.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- If the owner does not comply, the District may do the work and charge the owner's costs, including administration. Unpaid costs after 30 days can be sued for or added to the property tax roll.\n- Municipal ticket ([MTI Bylaw No. 221](<https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28332/>)): $250 ($200 if paid within 30 days).","sources":[{"url":"https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28401/","title":"Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 56, 2010 (PDF), District of Clearwater","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://districtofclearwater.civicweb.net/document/28332/","title":"Municipal Ticket Information Bylaw No. 221, 2019 (PDF), District of Clearwater","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.districtofclearwater.com/residents/municipal-ticketing-information-mti/","title":"Municipal Ticketing Information (MTI), District of Clearwater","accessed":"2026-11-08"},{"url":"https://www.districtofclearwater.com/municipal-hall/bylaws/","title":"Bylaws, District of Clearwater","accessed":"2026-11-08"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-08","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/clearwater/unsightly-property/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/unsightly-property.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/clearwater/unsightly-property.json"}}