| Repair | Who pays | The rule |
|---|---|---|
| Bulk Trash / Junk Removal | City | LASAN offers free, unlimited curbside bulky item pickup by appointment, but excludes construction materials, chemicals, commercial appliances, and cardboard. |
| Claim Against the City: Deadline | Depends | Los Angeles says claims for personal property must be filed within six months of the occurrence, and real property damage claims within one year. |
| Sewer Lateral | Property owner | In Los Angeles the owner pays for the entire sewer lateral, including the lower lateral out to the main in the middle of the street. The city owns only the main. |
| Sidewalk Repair | Property owner | Who pays for sidewalk repair in Los Angeles, CA? Adjacent owner responsible for the abutting sidewalk (CA S&H 5610 default). |
| Storm Drains: Street Flooding | City | LA Sanitation cleans and inspects all 40,000 sidewalk catch basins in Los Angeles and asks residents to report any that are clogged. |
| Storm Season: Free Sandbags | Shared | LAFD provides free ready-to-fill sandbags at all neighborhood fire stations, up to 25 per household; it does not fill or deliver them. |
| Street Tree / Parkway | Shared | Los Angeles owns and permits street trees, but owners must repair sidewalks and remove root-damaging trees first. Sources and code cites inside. |
| Tree Roots | Property owner | In Los Angeles the owner repairs sidewalks, curbs and driveway approaches (LAMC 62.104) even when a city street tree's roots did the damage. Root pruning too. |
Bulk Trash / Junk Removal
LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN) picks up bulky items curbside for free and unlimited, by appointment (1 business day notice), but won't take construction materials, automotive waste, chemicals, commercial appliances, or cardboard.
It's an unlimited curbside service at no additional charge to you!
Source: Schedule a Bulky Item Pickup
Claim Against the City: Deadline
To claim storm or sewer damage against the City of Los Angeles, file within six months for personal property or one year for real property.
Claims for death, injury to person or to personal property must be filed no longer than six (6) months after the date of occurrence (Government Code § 911.2).
Source: Claims
Sewer Lateral
Los Angeles puts the entire sewer lateral on the property owner, from the building all the way to the middle of the street.
Property owners are responsible for the maintenance and repair of their entire lateral.
Source: LA Sanitation: Managing and Protecting LA Underground Sewer System (owner owns entire lateral)
Sidewalk Repair
Los Angeles: the property owner pays, CA Streets & Highways Code §5610, softened by the city’s sidewalk rebate program.
The owners of lots or portions of lots fronting on any portion of a public street or place when that street or place is improved ... shall maintain any sidewalk in such condition that the sidewalk will not endanger persons or property
Source: California Streets & Highways Code §5610 (owner duty to maintain sidewalks)
Storm Drains: Street Flooding
The city cleans Los Angeles catch basins, and LA Sanitation asks residents to report clogged ones.
We clean and inspect all 40,000 sidewalk catch basins across the City of Los Angeles, clearing away leaves, plastic, and litter.
Source: Wet Weather Preparedness
Storm Season: Free Sandbags
Yes: Los Angeles fire stations hand out free ready-to-fill sandbags, up to 25 per household, but the department does not fill, deliver, install or remove them.
the Los Angeles Fire Department provides free ready-to-fill sandbags year-round at ALL Neighborhood Fire Stations
Street Tree / Parkway
In Los Angeles the City owns and controls street/parkway trees and requires a permit for any work on one, but the abutting lot owner is responsible for sidewalk repair, including removing a root-damaging tree before the City will approve repair.
The owner of a Lot shall maintain any Sidewalk, Driveway Approach, Curb Return or Curb on or fronting on the Lot in such condition that the Sidewalk, Driveway Approach, Curb Return or Curb will not endanger any Person or property passing thereon or violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Tree Roots
In Los Angeles, when a city street tree cracks your sidewalk, you still pay: the abutting owner owns the repair, tree or no tree.
Under the provisions of the Los Angeles Municipal Code 62.104(b), maintenance of sidewalks, curbs, and driveway approaches is the responsibility of the abutting property owners.
Source: StreetsLA: Policies and Guidelines (owner maintains sidewalks; tree costs owner’s)
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