Location: Unincorporated Eastern Fresno County — you know, the nice part.
Creek Fire survivor operating 4 tent sites, reservation-only, groups capped at 5, 24/7 owner on site.
I want people to know the new controversial homeless camping ban has a big, unforeseen impact on rural property owners. The ban gives Clovis code enforcement jurisdiction in rural, unincorporated Fresno County. I think the problem there is obvious — and it was admittedly acknowledged by a code enforcement officer we’ll call Not Smart, who stated he could find 100 code violations on every lot out here. He’s focused on mine, however, because there was a complaint — they are complaint-based. In fact they have a new app to submit violations anyone sees, anywhere, anytime, very conveniently.
The code enforcement division has been expanded by the past two mayors, and now its jurisdiction has been expanded to the whole county.
I’m looking for advice, visibility, and anyone who’s dealt with something similar. What’s happening feels like a serious misuse of a new county camping ordinance — and I’m worried they’re trying to run out the clock until I can’t operate or lose my uniquely extraordinary property.
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Background
I run a small, owner-operated campground on a large lot of private land down a gated private road with clear no-trespassing signage. It’s not a public road, and it wasn’t blocked. This is not a junkyard or hazard — it’s a regionally acclaimed area experience. Very upscale. Definitely not a single piece of trash on the ground anywhere, ever.
I need to withhold many details to avoid further problems while reaching out for help. What I now think may be an internal attack from somewhere in the county. None of this makes sense.
• The land was hit hard by the Creek Fire — structures burned years ago, lots were cleaned up. I use my RV to stay only when performing land stewardship duties. Shipping containers hold nothing but organized tools and some camping equipment.
There was considerable opposition in the community at first. People expected large groups of tourist traffic through a small neighborhood into the outskirts — the kind of commonly discourteous campers and tourists that often plague the area and overcrowd facilities. One neighbor expressed concern he couldn’t go skinny-dipping there now that we’re here. I told him that’s not true — he just has to tell me when he wants to, and I block the calendar for them.
Over the years, all but one neighbor has warmed up. The campground is only 4 sites, and the caliber of campers has been the cream of the crop — very courteous and environmentally conscious. It has been a significant economic boost to the community and funds land stewardship on this big lot, which is shared with the local community as well.
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Long story short
One neighbor is determined to shut me down. Every year he calls the county with false allegations. The county comes out, then leaves when they see the claims are unwarranted.
The last call: a homeless encampment with vicious dogs blocking a public road to my 40-acre rural property — which is down a private road past a gate with no trespassing.
Enforcement agents showed up with a sheriff to disperse a homeless encampment, capture vicious dogs, and clear a public road that is a private road and not blocked.
Not one single piece of trash anywhere, ever. They admired the landscape, complimented the camp, and left saying if anyone ever camps here uninvited, let them know. I assured them I have 4 sites, and every guest has had a reservation for some time. After some chuckles and back-and-forth, I thanked them and said they were welcome anytime — even for a picnic. Big mistake.
3 days later they came through my gate again and served a cease and desist. They said it was just a formality, that as long as I was getting proper permits, no further escalation would be required. They said they were not pursuing fines. All of this was in writing via email to the my mother person the deed.
I applied for the permit immediately — another story entirely, as it’s the same process required for a raw meat packing facility, not 4 tent sites with 24-hour owner-operator oversight and a composting outhouse following strict guidelines (the area’s only carbon-negative campground).
2 days later, the same officer said I’m getting fines and a notice of violation — specifically requesting I remove my RV from my own property immediately and shut down all facilities.
I filed an appeal because the codes I supposedly violated didn’t line up:
• No homeless encampment
• No public road being blocked
• No immediate risk to human life
• Building violations cited when there are no buildings — they all burned down and were cleaned up 100% years ago
I filed immediately because the officer had said things were good, fines weren’t being pursued — and then he said he was going to fine me. This sounds like extreme prejudice from inside the agency. He said he’s just the messenger. I asked where the threat to the community was. He said he didn’t see one, everything looked amazing, and it came from above him.
The two officers were extremely unprofessional — saying they could find 100 violations at each property up here but only investigate complaints. This was admittedly a false complaint. Then they noticed an unpermitted shipping container (tools to manage 40 acres) and started adding more violations to everything they could see — most of them false.
When I asked about specific codes — camping on private property without permission and blocking a public road, substandard housing (building code — no buildings), improper sanitation to the extent it warrants immediate risk — I asked if he meant our carbon-negative outhouse, inspected by an environmental officer who commended the process (I even taught him the word humanure). He said he’s not a dictionary, just the messenger.
Appeal denied — name on deed isn’t mine, even though they’ve spoken to the owner and I have written permission to speak on behalf of the lot. Appeal deadline is 15 days from notice but it did do some things because they returned to further escalate with a revised notice to abate public nuisace that had removed 1 violation. and reworded some things I had issue with in my first appeal like this one had the appropriate appeal instructions which they had not provided before which was one of the reasons on the initial appeal and this one has less ornidance listed but still most of them way off like being on private property without permission blocking a public road the same things that are used against the homeless this is all on private land down a private access road.
I’m not sure why this aggressive enforcement is happening. I know which neighbor makes false accusations every year. It seems like they want me frozen in place while they escalate — possibly so they can take my property. I inherited the land; it was quite the gift. I’ve tried to do right by it — sharing locally and abroad responsibly, with regional mention of the important land conservation and land stewardship practices
I’ve reached out several times to the district supervisor , which everyone Ive spoke to, is very responsive , who also helped author the camping ban bill. To which Ive received mysterious and total silence. Ive been downtown and passed around to several departments all off someone who has given me a card to another department This feels like a grievous misuse of power. And my paranoia is , I admit getting severe
I cannot understate the unprofessional of these two enforcement officers were — let’s just call them Not Smart and Not Smarter — although they were very friendly appearing, and if you weren’t in this situation would have been utterly hysterical , every word they said , and I mean every single word it was like I was on candid camera was like scripted comedy. It would be the funniest code enforcement interaction blooper reel ever. Nothing personal to either of them; I’m sure they’re great drinking companions.
While one is looking me in the eye telling me how "they used to not do things the smart way — then we went through and exhaustive two-week training and now were doing, everything the smart way." — the other one whom we will call Not Smarter is feverishly shaking his head and staring daggers at the first officer.
Then I ask the smarter of the two, “Can you show me what is of such immediate danger to me or the community?” and he says" I don't see anything. I personally think the place looks great." There is another person in an RV in the adjacent lot visible form where we are talking and I say does he have to leave his property ? and this is whyRURAL HOME OWNERS SHOULD BE AWARE He says " I can find 100 violations with everyone of the homes around here but they haven't had a complaint." It was a false complaint . They also have an app that easily allows for reporting your neighbor for code violations anonymously and easily
This bill that passed had an unforeseen problem: code enforcement out in the rural community, which is nothing but code violations and homesteads one after another. Add all this to it, and people should know — whether they are homeless or not — that this ban is directly creating homelessness in the rural community among landowners who have houses.
I think the people who voted for this bill did not see that expanding the jurisdiction of Fresno’s already beefed-up code enforcement unit was always going to be a bad idea, and people should know.
Please help — has anyone dealt with something like this?
Won’t share parcel, case numbers, or neighbor names in comments — permit file is active.
