Bellflower Moves to Place Nearly $200,000 Lien on Blighted Artesia Boulevard Property 

January 30, 2026

By Brian Hews

Bellflower city officials have approved action to recover nearly $200,000 in public nuisance abatement costs following years of enforcement efforts, court warrants, and the eventual demolition of a long-vacant commercial property on Artesia Boulevard.

At its January 26 meeting, the Bellflower City Council voted to authorize a special assessment lien against the property at 9070 Artesia Boulevard, a site city staff described as a persistent source of blight, safety hazards, and repeated complaints from residents and nearby businesses. City records show the parcel includes a vacant commercial structure at 9070 Artesia Boulevard, a bar at 9080 Artesia Boulevard, and six residential units at 17427 Virginia Avenue, all under the same ownership.

According to city documents, code enforcement issues at the property stretched back several years and included overgrown vegetation, graffiti, inoperable vehicles, illegal outdoor storage, unpermitted construction, expired building permits, unsecured structures, trash accumulation, and repeated trespassing. After voluntary compliance efforts failed, the city obtained multiple abatement warrants from Los Angeles County Superior Court judges beginning in 2024.

City crews first entered the site in October 2024, removing vehicles, clearing vegetation, painting over graffiti, removing debris, eliminating beehives, and securing buildings. Continued reports of trespassing and unsafe conditions led to a second court-authorized abatement in February 2025, which included boarding up access points, re-keying locks, and filling hazardous trenches. When conditions still failed to improve, the city obtained a third warrant in May 2025 authorizing demolition of the vacant structure following extensive testing and remediation of toxic materials, including asbestos.

By November 2025, remediation was completed and the structure was demolished, with the site fenced and covered with mulch to prevent further blight. City officials said those actions finally brought the property into compliance.

The City Attorney’s Office initially billed the property owner, JJR Holdings, LLC, more than $227,000 for abatement-related costs. After a revised accounting, the total was reduced to $198,568.87. As of the agenda report date, the city had not received payment or a formal challenge to the charges.

With the Council’s approval, Bellflower will record a lien against the property and place the costs on the property tax roll, allowing the city to recover the funds in the same manner as property taxes. City officials said the action is intended to reimburse taxpayers for the costs of addressing prolonged code violations and public safety hazards.

City staff noted that the lien does not preclude future enforcement if new violations occur and that unpaid assessments could ultimately trigger tax delinquency consequences under state law.