A Los Angeles judge has thrown a legal wrench into City Hall's plans to speed up the seizure and dismantling of recreational vehicles used as homes, ruling that the city cannot use a new state law as its green light. In a ruling issued Feb. 19, Superior Court Judge Curtis A. Kin wrote that the statute "provides no such authority to the City of Los Angeles."
How AB 630 changed the rules
AB 630 is a narrowly written state pilot that authorizes only the Counties of Los Angeles and Alameda to dispose of certain abandoned recreational vehicles valued at $4,000 or less, raising the previous disposal threshold from $500. The bill's official text, which took effect Jan. 1, 2026, also requires a public agency to verify that an RV is inoperable before authorizing disposal, according to Leginfo.
City Council vote and implementation push
In December the Los Angeles City Council voted to instruct multiple departments to "immediately implement" the new law, directing staff to develop procedures for identifying, valuing and disposing of RVs. The motion, introduced by Councilmember Traci Park, passed despite objections from a handful of members who warned the city risked legal exposure, as reported by MyNewsLA.
Supporters say it's a public-safety fix
Supporters, including Park and Mayor Karen Bass' office, argued the change closes a loophole that lets predatory buyers swoop in at auction and recycle unsafe, inoperable RVs back onto the streets. Park told LAist that residents want "solutions, not ideological wars," and the mayor's office has framed the law as a way to reduce public-safety and environmental hazards.
Opponents pressed a legal challenge
A coalition of housed and unhoused Westside residents, backed by the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, the ACLU of Southern California and the Western Center on Law and Poverty, sent a demand letter in December and asked a judge to intervene. Those advocates argued the statute only authorizes county action and warned that a city-led rollout would illegally strip people of their homes and could expose the city to liability, per Mar Vista Voice.
Judge pauses the rollout
In his Feb. 19 decision, Judge Kin sided with the petitioners and ordered the city not to move forward with its AB 630 implementation while the court evaluates the city's authority. The ruling, which states that the law "provides no such authority to the City of Los Angeles," effectively holds the city to the prior $500 disposal threshold until the legal dispute is resolved, according to LAist.
Legal fallout and a possible fix
Assemblymember Mark González, who authored AB 630, has introduced AB 647, a follow-up measure aimed at broadening the statute so it could apply to "any public agency" within Los Angeles County, and the bill's progress is visible on legislative trackers, according to LegiScan. If the city presses ahead in court, legal advocates warn it could face claims for property lost or destroyed, and others say the ruling underscores how narrowly lawmakers carved this pilot, per LegiScan.
For Angelenos living in vehicles, the ruling means the city cannot immediately accelerate removals or dismantling without risking more litigation. Thousands of RV residents and their advocates will be watching whether City Hall appeals, defends its interpretation, or waits for lawmakers to act. Whatever the next step, the decision sharply draws the line between county and city authority on this politically charged enforcement issue.
