Property Maintenance Bylaw No. 1059, 2026

Princeton, British Columbia · adopted 2026-02-24

This is the exact embedded text of the captured official document. Snapshot 9a913d7dd95e · verified 2026-06-08 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE BYLAW NO. 1059, 2026 Page 1 TOWN OF PRINCETON PROPERTY MAINTENANCE BYLAW NO. 1059, 2026 WHEREAS the Council of the Town of Princeton deems it necessary to regulate the maintenance of property and to prohibit unsightly premises', to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the community. NOW THEREFORE Council of the Town of Princeton, Province of British Columbia, in open meeting assembled ENACTS AS FOLLOWS: 1. PART 1 - CITATION 1.1. This Bylaw may be cited as the Town of Princeton "Property Maintenance Bylaw No. 1059, 2026". 2. PART 2 - DEFINITIONS 2.1. In this Bylaw, "Alley" means a narrow roadway primarily intended to give access to the rear of a building and parcel of land. "Boulevard" means the portion of Town property described as the strip of land located between a Property line and the traveled portion of the street, road, or avenue and may also border Alleys, sidewalks, multi-use trails, curbs, or the road edges. "Building Material" includes items associated with or used in the construction of Structures or landscaping including but not limited to lumber, plywood, plastic, steel, copper, tin, concrete, rebar, roofing, siding, flashings, soffit, wire, piping, doors, flooring, trim, windows, or other Materials commonly used for building and construction, being either new or used. "Business Licence" means a licence issued by the Town under the Town's Business Licence and Regulation Bylaw No. 914, 2016. "Bylaw Enforcement Officer" means a person or persons designated or appointed from time to time by Council to enforce bylaws and includes all active members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. "Container" includes a dumpster, garbage can, garbage bin, or other receptacle designed, intended, or used to hold Refuse, discarded materials, and debris. PROPERTY MAINTENANCE BYLAW NO. 1059, 2026 Page 2 "Compliance Warning" means a warning issued under this Bylaw requesting compliance with its provisions. "Compliance Order" means an order issued under this Bylaw requiring compliance with its provisions. "Council" means the elected Mayor and Council of the Town of Princeton. "Derelict Vehicle" means a vehicle or recreational vehicle that is (a) not capable of being operated safely under its own power; (b) missing parts, including but not limited to the engine, headlights, turn signals, lamps, indicator lights, tires, upholstery, seats, windows, window wipers, mirror, horn, headliner, trunk, tailgate, bumpers or doors; (c) not validly licensed; or not validly insured for use on a Highway. "Filth" means any substance or matter considered unpleasant to the sense of touch, smell, or sight and is unwholesome, disgustingly foul, or putrid. "Graffiti" means writing or drawings made on a wall or other surface, usually without the permission or consent of the Owner, and within public view that may consist of one or more letters, symbols, marks, pictorial depictions, slang, or slogans applied to any surface by means of paint, chalk, ink, or other substance, that may also contain offensive words or representations. "Hazard Tree" means any tree or portion of a tree that, due to its location, condition, health, or any other circumstances, has been determined by a Qualified Environmental Professional registered and in good standing under the Professional Governance Act SBC 2018, c 47, "Highway" includes a street, road, lane, sidewalk, bridge, viaduct and any other way open to public use, and for certainty: (a) includes any portion of highway right of way which has not been improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular traffic, such as a sidewalk or Boulevard; and (b) does not include a private right of way on Property; "Litter" means (a) Refuse, Rubbish, garbage or Waste materials, including cartons, crates, , packages, bottles, cans, or parts of them; or (b) any abandoned or discarded article, product, or goods manufactured or manufacturing but not including wastes of the primary processes of mining, logging, sawmilling, farming, or the current description in the PROPERTY MAINTENANCE BYLAW NO. 1059, 2026 Page 3 Litter Act, RSBC 1979, c 239. "Maintenance" means any activity or action taken to elicit the routine recurring work required to repair, retain, or restore a building, Structure, grounds, construction, or Property in such condition that it may be continuously used, at its original or designed capacity, in a serviceable condition. "Material" means the constituent element, substance, substances, crude, or raw matter from which a thing is made or composed or fabricated. "Noxious Weeds" means weeds designated as noxious in the Weed Control Act, RSBC 1996, c 487,and the Weed Control Regulation, BC Reg 66/85. "Occupier" means a person who (a) is in physical possession of Property, or residing on or entitled to possession thereof, including a Tenant or leaseholder; and (b) has responsibility for, and control over, the condition of Property, the activities conducted on the Property, and the persons allowed to enter the Property. "Owner" means the registered owner of Property, or their agent. "Property" means any land or premises owned, held, or under the care, custody or possession of a person or legal entity other than Public Property, consisting of land or premises and anything that is attached to the land or premises so it becomes affixed to the land after installation and normally includes buildings, Structures, and things, such as machinery or equipment, that are affixed to the land (or affixed to buildings or Structures) by some means other than their own weight. "Public Property" means: (a) any land or premises owned, held, leased, or under the care, custody or possession of the Town. "Refuse" means Rubbish and discarded articles or abandoned Materials, substances, Waste, or objects. "Rubbish" includes but is not limited to garbage, Litter, debris, Refuse, Filth, household appliances, Derelict Vehicles, Building Materials, scrap metal, Waste, combustibles such as fuel oil, oil, petrol, diesel, wood, paper, cardboard, plastics, leather, yard trimmings, grass, and brush, non- combustibles such as metal, cans, , glass, crockery, dirt, ashes, street sweepings, bulky Wastes, chattels such as, furniture, appliances, clothing, tires, stumps, construction and demolition Waste, boats, machinery, mechanical parts, metal, and all vehicles, trucks, trailers, recreational vehicles that are unlicensed, uninsured, unused, stripped or derelict. PROPERTY MAINTENANCE BYLAW NO. 1059, 2026 Page 4 "Structure" means any building or other structure. "Tenant" means a person who is under a statutory tenancy, an implied tenancy, or any contract conferring the right of occupation. "Town" means the Town of Princeton. "Unmaintained" means neglected and is the opposite of Maintenance as defined in this Bylaw. "Unsightly" includes Property that has one or more of the following characteristics: (a) the accumulation of Refuse, Rubbish, Filth, garbage, Litter, brush, discarded Materials, abandoned Building Materials, Graffiti, Derelict Vehicles, or vehicle parts; (b) fences with holes, breaks, rot, cracking, peeling paint, rusting, or that are leaning, crumbling, unsecure, unsafe, or Unmaintained; (c) landscaping that is Unmaintained and has the appearance of being unkept, which is characterized by uncontrolled growth of dead grass or weeds that exceeds thirty (30) centimetres in height; (d) Structures in a dilapidated state or showing evidence of decay, fire damage, rot, crumbling, neglect, or being Unmaintained; (e) trees or shrubs that are determined to be a risk to property or the public, overhanging a Property boundary, unmanaged, or unpruned; (f) conditions that create a health risk, safety issue, potential of fire propagation, or that unreasonably detract from the general appearance of the neighbourhood; or (g) any other similar conditions of disrepair and deterioration. "Waste" means any substance or matter including air contaminants, Litter, effluent, Refuse, biomedical waste, special wastes, or the current description in the Waste Management Act, RSBC 1996, c 482. 3. PART 3 - INTERPRETATION 3.1. A reference to a statute refers to a statute of British Columbia unless otherwise indicated, and a reference to any statute, regulation, bylaw, or other enactment refers to that enactment as it may be amended or replaced from time to time. 3.2. In this Bylaw, words in the singular include the plural and words in the plural include the singular. PROPERTY MAINTENANCE BYLAW NO. 1059, 2026 Page 5 4. PART 4 - GENERAL REGULATIONS 4.1. Property - An Owner or Occupier of Property must not cause, suffer, or permit on their Property: (a) the collection or accumulation of Refuse, Rubbish, Filth, Litter, or Waste; (b) the storage or accumulation of Derelict Vehicles unless stored in a building or fully screened from view in the rear yard set-back; (c) grass, weeds, or similar ground cover to exceed thirty (30) centimetres in height or to become dead or otherwise uncontrolled; (d) Noxious Weeds or invasive plants to grow, accumulate, or remain; (e) water to collect and stagnate in such a way as to permit the breeding of mosquitoes or other harmful organisms; (f) Graffiti to remain on buildings, fences, or Structures; (g) a fence to become Unsightly, Unmaintained, unstable, or unsafe; (h) the accumulation of Building Material on any Property except if (i) the Property is a Property with a valid Business Licence (ii) the Owner or Occupier of the Property is in possession of a valid building permit; or (iii) the accumulation is stored in a covered building; (i) Refuse to overflow from or accumulate around any Container; (j) a Structure to become dilapidated, Unmaintained, unsafe, or in any state in which it is not usable or inhabitable; or (k) a Hazard Tree which poses risk of damage to persons or property. 4.2. An Owner or Occupier of Property must not cause, suffer, or permit their Property to become or remain Unsightly. 4.3. Public Property -A person must not place or deposit Rubbish, Refuse, Derelict Vehicles, campers, Noxious Weeds, Building Material, Containers, Litter, Waste, Filth, or other Materials upon Public Property; 4.4. The Town may remove items found on Public Property that are listed in Section 4.3 at the expense of the owner of the items. 4.5. A person must not write, paint, affix, or place Graffiti upon any building, Structure, fence, or street. PROPERTY MAINTENANCE BYLAW NO. 1059, 2026 Page 6 4.6. Boulevard and Alley Maintenance - Every Owner or Occupier of Property must maintain Boulevards, sidewalks, Alleys, and lanes adjacent to their Property and, without limitation, must: (a) remove accumulations of Rubbish, Refuse, Derelict Vehicles, Noxious Weeds, Building Material, Containers, Litter, Waste, Filth, or other Materials or hazardous objects; (b) keep grassed areas trimmed and free of Noxious Weeds; (c) trim and maintain trees, hedges, and plantings; (d) cut or remove any tree, hedge, fence, or Structure obstructing visibility or safety for pedestrians, cyclists, or vehicles; and (e) remove all such snow, ice, and Rubbish from the sidewalks or any portion of them bordering the Property before the hour of 11:00 a.m. each day. 4.7. The Town may request Owners and Occupiers remove snow, ice, and Rubbish from the sidewalks or any portion of them bordering the Property before the hour of 11:00 a.m. . 5. PART 5 - INSPECTIONS 5.1. Bylaw Enforcement Officers may enter any Property at all reasonable times in accordance with the Community Charter for the purpose of inspecting and determining whether all regulations and requirements in this Bylaw are being met if (a) the Owner or Occupier consents, or (b) the Bylaw Enforcement Officer has provided the Owner or Occupier with twenty four (24) hours written notice of the intent to inspect the Property. 5.2. A person must not hinder, delay, or otherwise obstruct in any manner, directly or indirectly, a Bylaw Enforcement Officer from performing the duties and powers of a Bylaw Enforcement Officer under this Bylaw. 6. PART 6 - COMPLIANCE ORDERS 6.1. If a Property is Unmaintained or not in compliance with this Bylaw, a Bylaw Enforcement Officer may issue a Compliance Warning followed by a Compliance Order requiring the Owner or Occupier to bring the Property into compliance by the specified compliance date in the Compliance Order. 6.2. A Compliance Order under this Bylaw is deemed to be delivered: (a) if left with a person at the residence or usual place of business of the person to whom the Compliance Order is directed, on the next day following; (b) if sent as registered mail to the owner as shown on the current assessment roll, on the third business day after mailing; PROPERTY MAINTENANCE BYLAW NO. 1059, 2026 Page 7 (c) if posted in a conspicuous place on the Property, the third day after posting; or 6.3. If an Owner or Occupier fails to remedy the condition described in the Compliance Order as required, the Town may, by its employees or contractors, enter onto the Property to conduct the required work at the expense of the Owner or Occupier in default. 6.4. The issuance of a Compliance Order or the imposition of a fine under this Bylaw does not relieve the Owner or Occupier of the obligation to remedy the contravention. 6.5. The Town may recover all costs incurred in conducting work under section 6.4 in accordance with Part 8 - Cost Recovery, and such recovery is in addition to, and not in substitution for, any fine imposed under Part 9 - Enforcement & Penalties. 7. PART 7 - APPEALS 7.1. An Owner or Occupier of Property served with a Compliance Order may appeal to Council by written notice received by the Town no later than seven (7) calendar days prior to the compliance date specified in the Compliance Order. 7.2. A date for the appeal will be set and the Owner or Occupier is deemed to be delivered: (a) if left with a person at the residence or usual place of business of the person to whom the Compliance Order is directed, on the next day following; (b) if sent as registered mail to the Owner as shown on the current assessment roll, on the third business day after mailing; or (c) if posted in a conspicuous place on the Property, the third business day after posting. 7.3. Council may hear the appeal and confirm, vary, or rescind the Compliance Order. 7.4. If the Owner or Occupier is not in attendance or present on the date of the appeal, the order will stand, and Council will not grant the Owner or Occupier another opportunity to appeal. 8. PART 8 - COST RECOVERY 8.1. The costs of work performed by the Town under section 5.4 constitute a debt due and owing to the Town. 8.2. The costs recoverable by the Town include, but are not limited to, the fees and charges set out in Schedule "B" - Cost Recovery Fees attached to and forming part of this Bylaw. 8.3. The Owner or Occupier must pay all such costs within thirty (30) days of the date of the invoice. 8.4. If unpaid by December 31st of the year in which the work was performed, such costs may be added to, and form part of the municipal taxes payable in respect of the Property as taxes in arrears. PROPERTY MAINTENANCE BYLAW NO. 1059, 2026 Page 8 8.5. The recovery of costs under this Part is in addition to, and not in substitution for, any fine imposed under Schedule "A" - Fines. 9. PART 9 - ENFORCEMENT & PENALTIES 9.1. Every person who: (a) contravenes this Bylaw; (b) permits, suffers, or allows any act or thing to be done in contravention of this Bylaw; or (c) fails or neglect to do anything required to be done under this Bylaw, or of any permit or order issued under this Bylaw, commits an offence, and each day the contravention continues amounts to a separate offence. 9.2. This Bylaw may be enforced by a Bylaw Enforcement Officer: (a) by means of a ticket in the form prescribed for the purpose under the Community Charter, and fines imposed for offences under Schedule "A" - Fines of this bylaw; or (b) by proceeding brought under the Offence Act. 9.3. Under the provisions set out in the Community Charter, any fees or penalties assessed by the Town that are unpaid by the Owner by December 31 may be collected in the same manner as for property taxes. 9.4. Neither failure to enforce this Bylaw, nor any error, omission, or other neglect in relation to the enforcement of this Bylaw, shall be interpreted as giving rise to a cause of action in favour of any person. 9.5. If proceedings are brought under the Offence Act, RSBC 1996, c 338, a person found to have contravened this Bylaw is liable to pay a fine of up to $50,000, imprisonment, or both, and not less than $500, and any further amounts that may be ordered by the court. 9.6. Nothing in this section limits the Town from issuing Bylaw Notices or Municipal Ticket Information under applicable legislation. 9.7. Fines for contraventions of this Bylaw are prescribed in Schedule "A" - Fines (by Municipal Ticket Information). 9.8. Maximum penalties under the Offence Act remain available to the Court (up to $50,000,imprisonment, or both), notwithstanding the fines set in Schedule A. 9.9. If a person pays a fine within thirty (30) calendar days from the date of issuance of a ticket, the person must pay the reduced fine set out in Schedule "A". If a person does not pay the fine within thirty (30) calendar days, they must pay the full fine amount. PROPERTY MAINTENANCE BYLAW NO. 1059, 2026 Page 9 10. PART 10 - SEVERABILITY 10.1. If any portion of this Bylaw is held to be invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the invalid section or portion is severed and the remainder continues to be valid. 11. PART 11 - REPEAL 11.1. "Town of Princeton Property Maintenance Bylaw No. 813, 2009" and all amendments thereto are hereby repealed. 12. PART 12 - SCHEDULES 12.1. The following schedules are attached to, and form part of this Bylaw: - Schedule "A" - Fines - Schedule "B" - Cost Recovery Fees READ A FIRST TIME this 4th day of February, 2026. READ A SECOND TIME this 4th day of February, 2026. READ A THIRD TIME this 4th day of February, 2026. ADOPTED this 18th day of February, 2026. Mayor Spencer Coyne CAO Lyle Thomas Original signed by Mayor Coyne Original signed by CAO Thomas PROPERTY MAINTENANCE BYLAW NO. 1059, 2026 Page 10 SCHEDULE "A" - FINES Section Offence Description Fine ($) Reduced Fine if Paid Within 30 Days ($) 4.2 Permit unsightly property 200 100 4.1 (a) Permit rubbish to accumulate 200 100 4.1 (b) Permit derelict vehicle(s) 200 100 4.1 (c) Fail to clear unsightly growth 200 100 4.1 (d) Permit noxious weeds 300 150 4.1 (e) Permit stagnant water 300 150 4.1 (f) Fail to remove graffiti 300 150 4.1 (g) Permit unsightly fence 200 100 4.1 (h) Permit building materials 200 100 4.1 (i) Permit rubbish to overflow 200 100 4.1 (j) Permit unusable structure 300 150 4.1 (k) Fail to correct a hazard tree 300 150 4.3 Deposit unauthorized material 500 250 4.5 Place Graffiti on public property 500 250 4.6 (a)-(e) Fail to maintain boulevard 200 100 5.2 Obstruction 500 250 6.3 Fail to comply with a Compliance Order 500 250 PROPERTY MAINTENANCE BYLAW NO. 1059, 2026 Page 11 SCHEDULE "B" - COST RECOVERY FEES Item Fee / Charge Administrative Fee (per file) $100 Labour - Town Staff Actual hourly rate including wages, benefits, and overhead Contractor Services Actual cost invoiced to the Town Equipment Usage Town equipment rate as established by policy, or actual rental cost Disposal / Tipping Fees Actual cost invoiced to the Town Vehicle Tow / Impound Actual cost invoiced to the Town Materials & Supplies Actual cost invoiced to the Town Court costs Actual cost invoiced to the Town Legal fees A percentage of the fees invoiced to the Town Note: These costs are in addition to, and not in substitution for, any fines imposed under Schedule "A" - Fines.