LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeGovernment CodeDiv. 3Pt. 3Ch. 5Art. 4§ 56871 Dissolving Inactive Voter Districts

§ 56871 Dissolving Inactive Voter Districts

Government Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 56871 Dissolving Inactive Voter Districts

Key Takeaways

  • •If a special district (like a small local government group) isn’t doing its job, people can ask to shut it down.
  • •The district must have been around for at least 3 years before anyone can try to dissolve it.
  • •The petition must show the district hasn’t done important things like hold meetings, provide services, or use its money properly.
  • •At least 3 registered voters or landowners in the district must sign the petition to start the process.

Example

A small neighborhood has a special district to maintain local parks, but the board never meets, doesn’t fix anything, and hasn’t spent any money on the parks in years.

People in the neighborhood can sign a petition to dissolve the district because it’s not doing its job. If they prove the district hasn’t held meetings, provided services, or used its money for 3 years, they can ask to shut it down.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 56871 Dissolving Inactive Voter Districts

A petition for the dissolution of a registered voter district, signed by three or more registered voters within the district or by three or more landowners within a landowner-voter district, shall be deemed to be a sufficient petition, if, in addition to the matters required by Section 56700, the petition recites that the district has been in existence for at least three years and states, on information and belief, that the corporate powers of the district have not been used and that one or more of the following conditions have existed or now exist: (a) That during the three-year period preceding the date of the first signature upon the petition any of the following events have not occurred: (1) There has not been a duly selected and acting quorum of the board of directors of the district. (2) The board of directors has not furnished or provided services or facilities of substantial benefit to residents, landowners, or property within the district. (3) The board of directors has not levied or fixed and collected any taxes, assessments, service charges, rentals, or rates or expended the proceeds of those levies or collections for district purposes. (b) That during the one-year period preceding the date of the first signature upon the petition a quorum of the duly selected and acting board of directors has not met for the purpose of transacting district business. (c) That, upon the date of the first signature upon the petition, the district had no assets, other than money in the form of cash, investments, or deposits. (Added by Stats. 2000, Ch. 761, Sec. 209. Effective January 1, 2001.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

petitiondissolutionpropertybenefitdirectoradditionexistenceinformation

Related Statutes

  • § 61140 Zone Formation Procedures
  • § 25536.2 County Cultural Property Leases
  • § 56864.1 Reorganization Petition Signatures
  • § 56870 District Dissolution Petition Signatures
  • § 61144 Zone Service And Funding

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Government Code. Section 56871.
View Official Source