Judge Blocks L.A.'s Plan to Dismantle Homeless RVs

Ruling says city lacks legal authority to implement state law allowing RV seizures

Feb. 22, 2026 at 1:55pm

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A judge has struck down the city of Los Angeles' plan to tow and destroy broken down recreational vehicles used as shelter by homeless residents. The ruling says the city lacks the legal authority to carry out a state law, Assembly Bill 630, that permits the dismantling of abandoned or inoperable RVs worth up to $4,000 in certain jurisdictions.

Why it matters

The decision is a victory for homeless advocates who argued the law would make it easier for the city to seize and destroy vehicles that serve as much-needed shelter. The ruling highlights the ongoing tensions between efforts to address homelessness and concerns over public safety and blight in Los Angeles neighborhoods.

The details

In a two-page ruling, Superior Court Judge Curtis A. Kin said AB 630 only allows Los Angeles County government, not the city of Los Angeles, to create programs for taking apart and discarding RVs. The state's vehicle code currently requires cities and counties to sell impounded vehicles worth more than $500 at auction, but AB 630 increased the financial threshold to $4,000 for L.A. and Alameda counties. The city had voted 12-3 in December to instruct the city attorney to implement AB 630, but a coalition of homeless advocates filed a lawsuit arguing the city had no legal power to do so.

  • The judge's ruling was issued on February 22, 2026.
  • AB 630 was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2025.

The players

Judge Curtis A. Kin

A Superior Court judge who ruled that the city of Los Angeles lacks the legal authority to implement the state law allowing the dismantling of homeless RVs.

CD11 Coalition for Human Rights

A group of organizations and individuals who advocate for the human and civil rights of unhoused and vehicularly housed people, and filed the lawsuit against the city's plan to implement AB 630.

Traci Park

A Los Angeles City Councilmember who represents coastal neighborhoods and voiced dismay over the judge's decision, calling it an example of 'activist lawsuits impeding our ability to address urgent public health and safety concerns.'

Shayla Myers

An attorney who represents the CD11 Coalition and said the council vote was part of a larger pattern of 'doing politically expedient things that are patently illegal.'

Mark Gonzalez

A California State Assembly Member who authored AB 630 and is working on a new bill to ensure all 88 cities within L.A. County can dispose of broken down RVs, while pushing back on the idea that the RV removal efforts would harm homeless residents.

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What they’re saying

“AB 630 provides no such authority to the City of Los Angeles.”

— Judge Curtis A. Kin, Superior Court Judge

“Residents are rightfully fed up. We cannot allow inoperable, abandoned vehicles to become a permanent fixture of our streetscape. Nor can we enable 'vanlords' to exploit the homeless.”

— Traci Park, Los Angeles City Councilmember

“The goal was never to penalize an individual who's unhoused. The goal here is to get rid of those bad actors and get [homeless] folks the wraparound services they need.”

— Mark Gonzalez, California State Assembly Member

What’s next

Assembly Member Mark Gonzalez said he is working on a new bill to ensure that all 88 cities within L.A. County can dispose of broken down RVs, in an effort to revise the law after the judge's ruling.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tensions in Los Angeles between efforts to address homelessness and concerns over public safety and blight, with the judge's ruling serving as a legal setback for the city's plan to dismantle homeless RVs. The decision underscores the need for a more comprehensive and collaborative approach to supporting unhoused individuals while also addressing community concerns.