How to Check Your View Rights in Palos Verdes
On the Palos Verdes Peninsula, a view can be worth a great deal, but it isn't automatically protected. Which rules apply depends first on which city the home is in. Rancho Palos Verdes has a city view ordinance focused on foliage, while Palos Verdes Estates relies on deed restrictions and design review. Here's how to check where you stand.
Step 1: Confirm the city
The Peninsula includes four separate cities: Rancho Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, Rolling Hills Estates and Rolling Hills. Mailing addresses can be misleading, so confirm the city with the county assessor's records or the city's own address lookup. Each city's rules stop at its boundary.
Rancho Palos Verdes: the view ordinance
Rancho Palos Verdes voters approved Proposition M in November 1989, which led to the city's View Restoration and View Preservation rules in the municipal code. Key points:
- It's about foliage, not buildings. The ordinance addresses trees and vegetation that significantly impair a protected view. Building heights and additions are handled through the city's development review instead.
- There's a height trigger, not a height limit. Foliage generally comes under review when it exceeds 16 feet or the roofline of the owner's home, whichever is lower, and significantly impairs a view.
- The 1989 baseline matters. Preservation claims often depend on what the view looked like on or after November 17, 1989, so dated photos are valuable evidence.
- Neighbors talk first. The process expects you to try to resolve things with the foliage owner, including offering mediation, before a formal application.
- Formal applications cost money and time. View restoration applications go to the Planning Commission and carry a significant, non-refundable fee. Check the city's current fee schedule before you plan around this route.
California's courts have upheld the RPV ordinance, but every case turns on its own facts.
Palos Verdes Estates: deed restrictions and the Art Jury
Palos Verdes Estates works differently. Properties are subject to deed restrictions dating back to the city's founding in the 1920s, administered by the Palos Verdes Homes Association and its Art Jury. Projects may also go through the city's Neighborhood Compatibility review, which includes notice to nearby neighbors.
For buyers, that means:
- RPV's 16-foot foliage trigger doesn't apply here.
- Rules can be specific to the tract or lot, so read the recorded restrictions for that property.
- Remodel and landscaping plans may need Art Jury approval.
What to check before you buy a view home
- Recorded documents. Look for view easements, CC&Rs or covenants in the title report.
- Neighboring foliage. Note trees that could grow into the view, and who owns them.
- Neighboring development potential. Could the house below you add a second story?
- City records. Ask about past view applications or disputes involving the property.
- Dated photos. Save photos of the current view with dates and viewpoints.
My take: When you're paying for a view, value it as if it could change, unless the documents say otherwise. I'll help you look at what protects it, what could block it, and how much of the price really depends on it.
Next steps
If you're shopping on the Peninsula, start with current listings on my Palos Verdes page. Or reach out and I'll help you work through a specific property's view, documents and due diligence.
Sources: City of Rancho Palos Verdes, View Restoration and View Preservation program (Municipal Code Chapter 17.02); Palos Verdes Homes Association; City of Palos Verdes Estates Planning Division. Check each city for current fees and procedures.
Robert Neff, Ph.D., REALTOR® | CA DRE #02442812 | eXp Kaminsky Real Estate Group, Corporate DRE #01878277 | (424) 999-7761. Equal Housing Opportunity. This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and market conditions change. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.