{"title":"Coldstream unsightly property rules and how to report","question":"How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in Coldstream?","slug":"unsightly-property","place":{"path":"ca/bc/coldstream","name":"Coldstream","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 Coldstream","url":"https://www.coldstream.ca"},"short_answer":"In Coldstream, report an unsightly property to the Bylaw Compliance Officer at 250-550-1503 or bylaw@coldstream.ca. The Unsightly Premises Bylaw bans rubbish, wrecked vehicles, brush and noxious weeds. A bylaw notice is $100; a municipal ticket is $50.","aliases":["overgrown yard coldstream","junk on property coldstream","unsightly premises coldstream","report messy property coldstream"],"cost":"Bylaw notice $100 ($50 if paid early, $150 late). Municipal ticket $50. On conviction in court $100 to $2,000 plus costs.","how_long":"Bylaw Compliance responds within 10 business days. The bylaw sets no time to comply.","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Bylaw Compliance Officer","value":"250-550-1503","note":"Regular office hours"},{"type":"email","label":"Bylaw Compliance","value":"bylaw@coldstream.ca"},{"type":"online","label":"District contact form","value":"https://www.coldstream.ca/contact"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 1129, 1993","url":"https://coldstream.civicweb.net/document/1361/"}],"related":[{"slug":"bylaw-fines","title":"Coldstream bylaw fines and how tickets work","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/coldstream/bylaw-fines/"},{"slug":"noise-rules","title":"Coldstream noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/coldstream/noise-rules/"},{"slug":"zoning-lookup","title":"Coldstream zoning: find your zone and what it allows","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/coldstream/zoning-lookup/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/vernon","name":"Vernon","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/vernon/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/"},{"place":"ca/bc/spallumcheen","name":"Spallumcheen","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/spallumcheen/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/armstrong","name":"Armstrong","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/armstrong/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/kelowna","name":"Kelowna","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/kelowna/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 water, rubbish or noxious, offensive or unwholesome matter collect around their premises, or let the property become or remain unsightly. 'Unsightly' includes filth, discarded or disused materials, garbage, dismantled trailers, boats, machinery, brush, and wrecked vehicles. They must keep property clear of brush, trees and noxious weeds, control caterpillars and insects, and remove graffiti. Exterior lights must not disturb neighbours.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://coldstream.civicweb.net/document/1361/","title":"District of Coldstream Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 1129, 1993","section":"s. 2, s. 3, s. 4","quotes":["No owner or occupier of real property shall allow such property to become or to remain","Unsightly includes, but is not limited to, filth, discarded or disused materials or rubbish, any and all","manner of garbage; noxious, offensive or unwholesome matters; unused or dismantled","shall keep their property clear of brush, trees, noxious weeds or other growths.","No person shall place graffiti on walls, fences, or elsewhere on or adjacent to a public place."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"how_to_report":{"label":"How to report","value":"Contact the Bylaw Compliance Officer at 250-550-1503 or bylaw@coldstream.ca, or use the District's online contact form. Service is during regular office hours, with a response within 10 business days.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.coldstream.ca/contact-us/contact-directory/bylaw-compliance","title":"Bylaw Compliance, District of Coldstream","section":"Bylaw Compliance","quotes":["Cory Bashuk, Bylaw Compliance Officer 250-550-1503 Email bylaw@coldstream.ca","Bylaw Compliance services are provided during regular office hours and will be responded to within 10 business days."]},{"url":"https://www.coldstream.ca/contact","title":"Contact Us, District of Coldstream","section":"Contact the District","quotes":["Please describe your specific inquiry or request and any additional information that will help us respond to you as quickly as possible."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"process":{"label":"What happens next","value":"If the owner or occupier does not remove the accumulation, graffiti, brush or insects, the District may enter and do the work at the owner's expense. A charge unpaid on December 31 is added to the property taxes as taxes in arrears. Inspectors may enter property at reasonable times to check compliance.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://coldstream.civicweb.net/document/1361/","title":"District of Coldstream Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 1129, 1993","section":"s. 5, s. 6","quotes":["the municipality, by","its employees or others, may enter and effect the removal at the expense of the owner","or occupier defaulting, and the charge for doing so, if unpaid on December 31st in any","Every Inspector is hereby authorized to enter upon any lands and premises in the"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Bylaw notice: $100 ($50 if paid early; $150 late). Municipal ticket: $50. On conviction in court: $100 to $2,000 plus costs.","short":"Notice $100 ($50 if paid early); ticket $50","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://coldstream.civicweb.net/document/11456/","title":"District of Coldstream Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1636, 2013","section":"Appendix 9","quotes":["3.(3) Property become or remain unsightly $100 $50 $150 Yes"]},{"url":"https://coldstream.civicweb.net/document/2314/","title":"District of Coldstream Municipal Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw No. 1598, 2012","section":"Schedule 10","quotes":["3. Property become or remain unsightly 3.(3) $50.00"]},{"url":"https://coldstream.civicweb.net/document/1361/","title":"District of Coldstream Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 1129, 1993","section":"s. 7","quotes":["to a fine not less than one hundred dollars ($100), and not more than two"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"District of Coldstream Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 1129, 1993","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://coldstream.civicweb.net/document/1361/","title":"District of Coldstream Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 1129, 1993","section":"s. 1","quotes":["This Bylaw may be cited for all purposes as “The District of Coldstream Unsightly Premises Bylaw"]}],"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\nThe [Unsightly Premises Bylaw 1129](<https://coldstream.civicweb.net/document/1361/>) says owners and occupiers must not let water, rubbish or noxious, offensive or unwholesome matter collect around their premises, or let the property become or remain unsightly. \"Unsightly\" includes filth, discarded or disused materials, garbage, dismantled trailers, boats, machinery, brush and wrecked vehicles.\n\nOwners and occupiers must also keep property clear of brush, trees and noxious weeds, control caterpillars and insects, and remove graffiti. Exterior lights must not disturb neighbours.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Contact the Bylaw Compliance Officer at 250-550-1503 or bylaw@coldstream.ca, or use the District's online contact form.\n2. Give the address and describe the problem.\n3. An officer follows up. Service is during regular office hours, with a response within 10 business days.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- If the owner or occupier does not remove the accumulation, graffiti, brush or insects, the District may enter and do the work at the owner's expense. A charge unpaid on December 31 is added to the property taxes as taxes in arrears.\n- Inspectors may enter property at reasonable times to check compliance.\n- The bylaw text sets no notice period or time to comply. Ask Bylaw Compliance what applies.\n- Two ticket systems list the offence at different amounts. A bylaw notice is $100 ($50 if paid early, $150 late); a municipal ticket is $50. On conviction in court the penalty is $100 to $2,000 plus costs.","sources":[{"url":"https://coldstream.civicweb.net/document/1361/","title":"District of Coldstream Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 1129, 1993","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.coldstream.ca/contact-us/contact-directory/bylaw-compliance","title":"Bylaw Compliance, District of Coldstream","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.coldstream.ca/contact","title":"Contact Us, District of Coldstream","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://coldstream.civicweb.net/document/11456/","title":"District of Coldstream Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw No. 1636, 2013","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://coldstream.civicweb.net/document/2314/","title":"District of Coldstream Municipal Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw No. 1598, 2012","accessed":"2026-11-06"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-06","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/coldstream/unsightly-property/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/coldstream/unsightly-property.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/coldstream/unsightly-property.json"}}