By Sara Beth Williams–
Multiple stored vehicles were removed from a property on Old Auburn Road Thursday, a week after the Citrus Heights City Council rejected the appeal of a homeowner who had been ordered to remove dozens of stored vehicles from his property.
A photo shared by a local resident of Citrus Heights Neighborhood Area 7 showed one vehicle on a tow truck being towed away from the property. Public police radio transmissions indicated multiple vehicles were removed from the property, including marine vessels and snowmobiles, along with regular passenger vehicles.
Sgt. Dave Jones with the Citrus Heights Police Department confirmed Friday that an abatement warrant was served on the property at 8240 Old Auburn Rd. Vehicles removed included four cars, one pickup truck, two boats, one box trailer, and three snowmobiles. Jones said multiple vehicles looked stripped, were parked in tall grass, and many appeared to have been parked for weeks or months based on their outward appearance.
“We can’t tolerate nuisance behavior,” Jones said, adding that he hopes the action of forcibly removing vehicles will lead to “more compliance in the future.”
No vehicles on Thursday have been found to be stolen, but there are many more vehicles and the matter is still being investigated. Jones said the warrant is good for ten days, allowing code enforcement officers to return, but the warrant can also be extended if needed. No further dates for continued removal were immediately provided.
The owner was out of town, Jones said, but a representative located at the property was cooperative with authorities while vehicles were being removed.
In a statement to The Sentinel on May 13, the city said in part, “The property at 8240 Old Auburn Rd. has been a code enforcement issue since July 2023 due to approximately 50 vehicles parked on unimproved surfaces, including the front lawn and yard, violating Citrus Heights Municipal Code regulations.”
The city further confirmed that the property owner, who only owns 8240 Old Auburn Road, has accrued $8,776 in unpaid fines. The property was declared a public nuisance at an administrative hearing on March 18, with an abatement deadline of April 14, per a Notice of Hearing Decision and Order of Abatement. The property owner filed an appeal on April 9, contesting the citation.
Code Enforcement officers directly familiar with the case testified during a public hearing held May 14 in front of the Citrus Heights City Council that Citrus Heights Code Enforcement has inspected the property 15 times within the last two years and added the property has accumulated up to an estimated 75 vehicles, including regular, commercial, and marine vessels. An inspection conducted on the morning of May 14 showed that the property owner had made no attempt to comply with code enforcement orders. Code Enforcement officers also said the over $8,000 in fines had been accumulating since 2017.
The property owner had requested an extension on May 14, saying 30 vehicles were removed recently and estimated he only had 20 remaining parked on unapproved surfaces. The owner also said he lost the lease on two properties, which he had previously used to store vehicles, and is currently searching for another property where he can store vehicles.
“I had no other choice,” the owner said to the council, adding the cost of moving the cars has also been a challenge because he is waiting for knee surgery. The owner also mentioned he is planning to retire from his business and will shut down once he depletes his current inventory.
Neighbors and Vice Mayor MariJane Lopez-Taff voiced concerns regarding the hazards that multiple vehicles parked close together on top of grassy areas pose to the environment. Some community members said they were concerned about the higher risk of fire during the summer months due to leaking fluids, and Lopez-Taff said leaking fluids from dozens of vehicles parked on other surfaces besides cement or asphalt pose a risk to the underground water supply.
The council voted 4-0 on May 14 to reject the homeowner’s appeal to the court order notice of abatement, which led authorities to obtain an abatement warrant. Councilmember Kelsey Nelson was sick and was not in attendance at either the special or regular City Council meetings.
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