Illegal Dumping on Vacant Lots: What’s Happening and How to Protect Your Property

Over the past few weeks, many of you have likely seen or heard about the increase in illegal dumping of soil and debris on vacant lots throughout the Palisades.

There has been some speculation about organized coordination among truckers through text chains. Based on what we know, that is not accurate. The reality is that there are a few bad actors taking advantage of unsecured properties, while the majority of contractors and hauling companies are operating responsibly and doing quality work.

In one recent incident, a company was caught on camera dumping illegally. The owner’s contact information has been provided to the City of Los Angeles for enforcement action.

What Can You Do to Protect Your Property?

Immediately following the fires, there was concern about trespassing and squatters. Many property owners took proactive steps by installing fencing, posting “No Trespassing” signs, and securing their lots.

Those who did so have largely avoided issues with illegal dumping.

Unfortunately, properties that remain open and accessible are now becoming targets.

The key takeaway:
These dumpers are looking for easy access.

Even simple measures can make a difference:

• Install fencing (full or even just across the front of the lot)
• Block driveway access with temporary barriers
• Post visible signage

You don’t need a full perimeter fence to be effective—just making access more difficult is often enough to deter dumping.

What Is Pali Builds Doing?

To help address this issue, Pali Builds has implemented a program for property owners:

If you hire us to clear remaining debris on your site (including driveways, walkways, or areas not handled by the Army Corps of Engineers), we will include one year of lot fencing as part of the service.

If you’re interested, please contact us at:
info@palibuilds.com

What Can Neighbors Do Together?

There is also an opportunity for neighbors to work together and reduce costs.

If adjacent lots are not actively being built, property owners can:

• Share a continuous front fence line
• Fence only the outer boundaries on the ends

This approach eliminates the need for duplicate fencing between properties and can result in significant savings.

What Can the City Do?

Unfortunately, enforcement is limited unless there is clear evidence.

The most effective way to report illegal dumping is:

• Capture the activity on video or photos
• Report it through 311

Without documentation, enforcement is difficult and often leads to no action.

If you do capture evidence, you can also send it to us. We maintain a direct line of communication with the City’s enforcement division, which can help escalate these cases more effectively.

Final Thought

This is a frustrating issue, but it is also a preventable one. Most illegal dumping is opportunistic. Securing your property—even minimally—can go a long way toward avoiding it altogether.

If you have any questions or need help securing or clearing your lot, feel free to reach out.