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Montrose unsightly property rules and how to report

How do I report an unsightly or overgrown property in Montrose?

Montrose, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-08

Short answer

In Montrose, the Good Neighbour Bylaw makes owners keep property free of rubbish, derelict vehicles, dead vegetation and noxious weeds. The Village's pages give no complaint form, so call the Village Office at 250-367-7234 or email admin@montrose.ca.

Key facts

What countsOwners must not let their property become or stay unsightly or let water, filth, rubbish, demolition waste or discarded materials, dead vegetation or noxious weeds, or derelict vehicles in public view, pile up. Graffiti must be removed. Building materials may sit more than 15 days only with a building permit or if stored out of sight.Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 779, 2024, ss. 5.2, 5.5, 10.3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
No owner or occupier of real property shall permit or allow the real property to become or remain unsightly.
permit an accumulation of water, filth, rubbish, demolition waste or discarded materials
keep a derelict vehicle of any sort in public view
Every owner or occupier of real property shall keep any wall, building, fence, sign or other
How to reportNot confirmed. The Village's pages state no complaint form.
What happens nextA Bylaw Enforcement Officer can issue an order to comply, usually within 14 days (10 days for a vacant building in disrepair). If it is not done and the owner has had a chance to be heard, the Village can do the work at the owner's cost; unpaid costs on December 31 are added to property taxes.Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 779, 2024, ss. 12.2, 12.5 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
may issue an order to comply requiring the person to remedy the nuisance or non-compliance within fourteen (14) days of deemed
the Village, by its employees, contractors and agents may enter the real property
if unpaid by December 31, the cost shall be added to and form part of the taxes for the real property as taxes in arrears
FineNo ticket amount is set. On summary conviction the Offence Act maximum fine applies, with up to 90 days in jail, or both; each day is a separate offence.Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 779, 2024, s. 13.2-13.3 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
to a maximum fine as identified in the Offence Act, and in the case of a conviction a term of
Each day that a contravention of the provisions of this Bylaw exists or is permitted to exist
BylawGood Neighbour Bylaw, Bylaw #779 (2024) (Village of Montrose Good Neighbor Bylaw #779)Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 779, 2024, s. 1.1; s. 16.1 · Wording matched the official text retrieved 2026-11-08
Official wording
Village of Montrose Good Neighbor Bylaw #779
Noise Regulation Bylaw #531

How it works

The Village's Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 779 says owners must not let their property become or stay unsightly. That includes water, filth, rubbish, demolition waste or discarded materials, dead vegetation or noxious weeds, and derelict vehicles in public view piling up. Graffiti must be removed. Building materials may sit more than 15 days only with a building permit or if stored out of sight.

Steps

  1. Call the Village Office at 250-367-7234 or email admin@montrose.ca. The Village's pages state no complaint form.
  2. A Bylaw Enforcement Officer can issue an order to comply, usually within 14 days (10 days for a vacant building in disrepair).
  3. If the work is not done and the owner has had a chance to be heard, the Village can do it at the owner's cost.

Good to know

  • Unpaid costs on December 31 are added to the owner's property taxes.
  • No ticket amount is set. On conviction, the Offence Act maximum fine applies, with up to 90 days in jail, or both, and each day is a separate offence.

Official forms and pages

The same question in other places

Fruitvale · Trail · Warfield · Rossland · Castlegar · Salmo

Unsightly property fines in British Columbia, by municipality →

Sources

  1. Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 779, 2024 (PDF), Village of Montrose (read 2026-11-08)
  2. Contacts, Village of Montrose (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.