McBride unsightly property rules and how to report
How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in McBride?
In McBride, report an unsightly property to the Village Office by phone, email or the Report a Concern form. The Maintenance Bylaw lets the Village order the owner to tidy up within 14 days, and do the work at the owner's cost if it is not done.
Key facts
| What counts | Property must not become unsightly: garbage, discarded material, appliances or woody debris; excess grass, bushes, trees or noxious weeds; outdoor construction material (unless a building permit is active or zoned commercial or industrial use); vehicle or equipment storage or repair outside a building or screened area (unless zoned for it); graffiti; unroadworthy vehicles.Maintenance Bylaw No. 706, 2010, s. 2.8, 3.2 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingUNSIGHTLY and UNSIGHTLINESS includes but is not limited to: No owner or occupier of real property shall permit or cause that real property to become or remain UNSIGHTLY The accumulation or excess growth of grasses, bushes, trees, NOXIOUS WEEDS, or other plants. except where such activity is taking place entirely within a building or screened area designed for such purpose, or on properties zoned for such purposes. |
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| How to report | The bylaw does not say. The Village's contact page offers a "Report a Concern" form, the Village Office phone 250-569-2229 and mcbride@mcbride.ca.Contact Us, Contact page · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingReport a Concern Contact Us 250-569-2229 mcbride@mcbride.ca |
| What happens next | An authorized person (RCMP, bylaw officer, building inspector) may give a written notice to tidy within 14 days. The owner may appeal to Council within 7 days. After 14 days the Village may do the work at the owner's cost; unpaid costs go onto the property taxes as arrears if not paid by Dec. 31.Maintenance Bylaw No. 706, 2010, s. 13.1, 13.2, 13.4, 13.6 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingAn AUTHORIZED PERSON may issue a written notice to the owner or occupier of the real property to remove, clean, or otherwise tidy the UNSIGHTLINESS within 14 days of the issuance of the written notice. may appeal the written notice to the Council within 7 days of the issuance of the written notice. If after 14 days following delivery of a notice and the work required to be performed by such notice remains either wholly or partially incomplete, the VILLAGE may |
| Fine | Not confirmed. No ticket amount is posted for this bylaw. |
| Bylaw | Village of McBride Maintenance Bylaw No. 706, 2010.Maintenance Bylaw No. 706, 2010, s. 1.0 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08Official wordingVillage of McBride Maintenance Bylaw No. 706, 2010 |
How it works
The Village's Maintenance Bylaw 706 says property must not become unsightly. That covers garbage, discarded material, appliances or woody debris; excess grass, bushes, trees or noxious weeds; outdoor construction material (unless a building permit is active or the land is zoned commercial or industrial); vehicle or equipment storage or repair outside a building or screened area (unless zoned for it); graffiti; and unroadworthy vehicles.
Steps
- Report it to the Village. The bylaw does not say how, but the Village contact page offers a "Report a Concern" form, the Village Office phone 250-569-2229 and mcbride@mcbride.ca.
- An authorized person (RCMP, bylaw officer or building inspector) may give the owner a written notice to tidy up within 14 days.
- The owner may appeal to Council within 7 days.
- After 14 days the Village may do the work at the owner's cost. Unpaid costs go onto the property taxes as arrears if not paid by December 31.
Good to know
- The bylaw also bans nuisances, fouling drains and unmaintained fences, and requires snow and ice to be removed from roofs next to a highway.
- No ticket amount is posted. The maximum court fine is $2,000 plus costs of prosecution, and each day is a new offence.
Official forms and pages
The same question in other places
Valemount · Quesnel · Williams Lake · Prince George · Clearwater · 100 Mile House
Unsightly property fines in British Columbia, by municipality →
Sources
- Maintenance Bylaw No. 706, 2010 (PDF), Village of McBride (read 2026-11-08)
- Contact Us, Village of McBride (read 2026-11-08)
- Bylaw library, Village of McBride (read 2026-11-08)
Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 4 of 5 facts was matched to the official text; 1 could not be confirmed. How answers are checked.