{"title":"Metchosin unsightly property rules and how to report","question":"How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in Metchosin?","slug":"unsightly-property","place":{"path":"ca/bc/metchosin","name":"Metchosin","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 Metchosin","url":"https://www.metchosin.ca"},"short_answer":"In Metchosin, report an unsightly property through the Contact Us form on the District's website (choose \"Bylaw\") or call Municipal Hall at 250-474-3167. The Unsightly Premises Bylaw covers rubbish and unsightly premises. It does not mention overgrown grass. The ticket is $250.","aliases":["unsightly premises metchosin","messy yard metchosin","junk on property metchosin","report neighbour property metchosin"],"cost":"Ticket: $250.","how_long":"The bylaw sets no notice step and no fixed time to comply.","where":[{"type":"phone","label":"Municipal Hall","value":"250-474-3167","note":"Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m."},{"type":"online","label":"Contact Us form (choose \"Bylaw\")","value":"https://www.metchosin.ca/contact-us"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 474","url":"https://metchosin.civicweb.net/document/278/"}],"related":[{"slug":"bylaw-fines","title":"Metchosin bylaw fines and how tickets work","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/metchosin/bylaw-fines/"},{"slug":"rv-boat-trailer-parking","title":"Metchosin RV, boat and trailer parking rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/metchosin/rv-boat-trailer-parking/"},{"slug":"noise-rules","title":"Metchosin noise bylaw: quiet hours, construction hours and fines","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/metchosin/noise-rules/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/colwood","name":"Colwood","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/langford","name":"Langford","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/view-royal","name":"View Royal","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/sooke","name":"Sooke","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/sooke/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/esquimalt","name":"Esquimalt","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/esquimalt/unsightly-property/"},{"place":"ca/bc/victoria","name":"Victoria","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/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 filth, discarded materials or rubbish collect around their premises, and must not let the premises become or stay unsightly from public view. No one may put graffiti on walls or fences, or throw bottles, broken glass or rubbish in open space. Discarded materials include unused or stripped vehicles, trailers and boats not stored in a manner that denotes value.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://metchosin.civicweb.net/document/278/","title":"Unsightly Premises Bylaw 2004, No. 474, District of Metchosin","section":"ss. 2-3","quotes":["No owner or occupier of a real property shall cause or permit filth, discarded materials or","rubbish to collect or accumulate around their premises","unsightly from public view.","means visible from a highway or by occupants of adjacent property.","No person shall place graffiti on walls, fences or elsewhere on or adjacent to a public","not stored in a manner that denotes value"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"how_to_report":{"label":"How to report","value":"Use the online inquiry form on the District's Contact Us page (choose \"Bylaw\") or call Municipal Hall at 250-474-3167. Officers enter premises \"upon a complaint\".","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://metchosin.civicweb.net/document/278/","title":"Unsightly Premises Bylaw 2004, No. 474, District of Metchosin","section":"s. 6","quotes":["Every bylaw enforcement officer is hereby authorized to enter, upon a complaint any premises in"]},{"url":"https://www.metchosin.ca/contact-us","title":"Contact Us | District of Metchosin","section":"Contact Us form","quotes":["General InquiryBylawPublic WorksReport a Problem"]},{"url":"https://www.metchosin.ca/contact-us-0","title":"Contact Us, District of Metchosin","section":"Contact Us","quotes":["| MUNICIPAL HALL 4450 Happy Valley Road Victoria BC V9C 3Z3 Tel: 250-474-3167 Fax: 250-474-6298 | General Correspondence info@metchosin.ca"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"process":{"label":"What happens next","value":"The bylaw requires owners to remove unsightly accumulations at a reasonable time and in a reasonable manner. If they do not, the District may enter and remove them at the owner's expense; unpaid charges on December 31 are added to the property taxes.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://metchosin.civicweb.net/document/278/","title":"Unsightly Premises Bylaw 2004, No. 474, District of Metchosin","section":"ss. 4-5","quotes":["shall remove from it any unsightly","and the charges for doing so, if unpaid on December 31st in any year, shall be added to"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"fine":{"label":"Fine","value":"Municipal ticket (Schedule 2): $250 for accumulated rubbish, an unsightly property, graffiti, depositing rubbish or failing to remove rubbish.","short":"Ticket $250","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://metchosin.civicweb.net/document/912/","title":"Ticket Information Authorization Bylaw 2004, No. 475, District of Metchosin","section":"Schedule 2","quotes":["1. Accumulated Rubbish 3(1) $250","2. Unsightly Property 3(2) $250"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Unsightly Premises Bylaw, 2004, No. 474","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://metchosin.civicweb.net/document/278/","title":"Unsightly Premises Bylaw 2004, No. 474, District of Metchosin","section":"s. 1","quotes":["Unsightly Premises Bylaw, 2004, No. 474"]}],"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 No. 474](https://metchosin.civicweb.net/document/278/) says owners and occupiers must not let filth, discarded materials or rubbish collect around their premises, and must not let the premises become or stay unsightly from public view. No one may put graffiti on walls or fences, or throw bottles, broken glass or rubbish in open space. Discarded materials include unused or stripped vehicles, trailers and boats not stored in a manner that denotes value. The bylaw does not mention overgrown grass or vegetation.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Use the online inquiry form on the District's Contact Us page and choose \"Bylaw\", or call Municipal Hall at 250-474-3167.\n2. Officers enter premises upon a complaint.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- Owners must remove unsightly accumulations at a reasonable time and in a reasonable manner. If they do not, the District may enter and remove them at the owner's expense. Unpaid charges on December 31 are added to the property taxes.\n- The bylaw sets no notice step and no fixed time to comply.\n- A municipal ticket is $250.","sources":[{"url":"https://metchosin.civicweb.net/document/278/","title":"Unsightly Premises Bylaw 2004, No. 474, District of Metchosin","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://metchosin.civicweb.net/document/912/","title":"Ticket Information Authorization Bylaw 2004, No. 475, District of Metchosin","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.metchosin.ca/contact-us-0","title":"Contact Us, District of Metchosin","accessed":"2026-11-06"},{"url":"https://www.metchosin.ca/contact-us","title":"Contact Us | District of Metchosin","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/metchosin/unsightly-property/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/metchosin/unsightly-property.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/metchosin/unsightly-property.json"}}