July 4, 2025 – Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office officials report that in April of this year, Tuolumne County Civil/Coroner Division deputies began a civil vehicle-abatement investigation on a property in the area of Bonanza Drive in Sierra Village due to numerous abandoned vehicles stored on two adjoining properties, creating a public nuisance and generating complaints from the community.

Complicating factors during the two-month-long investigation stemmed from the original property owner having passed away and the out-of-county heir refusing to take ownership of the property or cooperate with law enforcement. Additionally, the vehicles were being stored by a man who was not the property owner and who also refused to cooperate with law enforcement or Code Compliance—both during the current investigation and previous abatement efforts by county agencies.

To navigate these civil obstacles, Civil Division deputies authored an Inspection Warrant to legally access the private property, conduct records checks on the vehicles, and tag them for abatement. In late May, TCSO deputies—assisted by Code Compliance—served the inspection warrant. Approximately 20 vehicles were tagged during the inspection.

During the mandatory notice period, many vehicles were moved voluntarily while Code Compliance and TCSO deputies have continued to follow up to arrange for the removal of any remaining tagged vehicles.

Attached body-cam video shows footage from the inspection warrant service.

We thank our community partners for their assistance in this investigation. The successful abatement of numerous vehicles was made possible through the teamwork of the deputies who initiated the civil investigation, Code Compliance, and the judicial officers who approved the enforcement actions. Without this collaboration, the outcome could have been very different.

We encourage community members to continue reporting public nuisances to the appropriate county agencies. These reports are vital for identifying and documenting ongoing issues so they can be addressed through proper legal and investigative channels.

We recognize the frustration caused by both the presence of ongoing public nuisances and the often-lengthy civil processes required to resolve them. Please know we remain committed to addressing these concerns as our operational tempo allows—keeping in mind that crimes against persons will always take priority over civil matters.

View video here.

Source: Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office