• About DPH

  Doing Business with DPH Health Commission Inside the Department Internships Jobs DPH RN Reassignment News and Media Office of Policy and Planning Prop I Notifications

• Our Services

  Birth/Death Certificates Community Behavioral Health Services Dental Services Disease Prevention Emergency Services Laguna Honda Hospital & Rehabilitation Center Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health Medical Services Pregnancy Resources Primary Care SF Health Network Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center

• Our Programs

  Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) Communicable Disease Control & Prevention Community Programs Education Environmental Health Section Healthy San Francisco Mental Health SF Implementation Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health Mental Health Board Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Research Shelter Monitoring Committee SF PATH Program Transgender Health Services Whole Person Care

• Healthy Living

  By Life Phase   - Pregnancy & Parenting   - Children   - Adolescents & Teens   - Young Adults   - Mature Adults   - Elderly Disease Prevention Education Medical Services Research Women's Services Your Rights

• Records, Permits & Licensing

  Applications Forms Licensing Permits Request Public Records Vital Records

• Knowledge Sharing & Collaboration

  Administration, Programs, Policy & Planning Environmental Health Publications Cannabis State Legalization Task Force Community Health Improvement Plan CPMC Compliance Statement and Healthcare Compliance Report Food Security Task Force Guidelines for Adult Sex Venues Health Care Services Master Plan Task Force Jail Replacement Project Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion San Francisco (LEAD SF) Listen, Share, Connect Meetings & Groups Mental Health Reform Mental Health San Francisco Implementation Working Group Methamphetamine Task Force Occupational Health Services at ZSFG Occupational Safety & Health Palliative Care Task Force Policy & Procedures Library Privacy Policies Reports, Studies & Data Safe Injection Services Task Force Sugary Drinks Distributor Tax Advisory Committee Supervisorial District Health Profiles Universal Healthcare Council Climate and Health Program Housing Conservatorship

• Diseases & Conditions

  Coronavirus (COVID-19) Disease Reporting & Control Education Infectious Diseases A to Z Medical Services Research

• Training

  CBO Annual Compliance and Privacy Training ELM Compliance and Privacy Training instructions Center for Learning & Innovation DPH Code of Conduct Health Impact Assessment Tools Online Training San Francisco Indicator Project User Agreement for Confidentiality, Data Security and Electronic Signature

Refuse Liens Program

Persuant to article 6, section 291.1 of the San Francisco Health Code, the owner of any dwelling or commercial property shall subscribe to and pay for adequate refuse collection service rendered to such dwelling or commercial property by a collector and shall provide at a location accessible to the collector for an adequate container or containers for deposit of refuse of such capacity as the Director of Public Works may prescribe. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in the City paying all costs for the services rendered and placing a lien on the real property with additional recording fee, administrative, and interest charges.

Refuse Lien Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make a refuse lien payment?

1. Pay online with any major credit or debit card or using electronic checks or ACH: https://www.sfdph.org/refuselienpayment

2. Pay by check or money order (payable to "S.F. Health Department") via U.S. Mail to:

Solid Waste Program
Attn: Refuse Lien Program
49 South Van Ness Ave., Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94103

Please include either the bottom portion of the notice with your payment or include the block/lot # and invoice # on the payment.

 

Note:

Payment may not be made by phone.

Partial payments are not accepted.

 

What is a refuse lien?

A lien is a legal claim or a "hold" on real property, whether personal or real property, making it collateral against monies or services owed to another person or entity. In this case, a lien is recorded against the property due to an unpaid or delinquent garbage bill for service that is rendered by the garbage company. The lien amount consists of the original garbage bill amount, administrative fee set by the Controller's Office, and the recording fee charged by the Assessor Recorder's Office. An interest of 1.5% is compounded monthly from the date of the recordation until the lien is paid.

Why was a refuse lien recorded against my property?

When a bill for garbage service is unpaid or becomes delinquent (past due), per the S.F. Health Code, Article 6, Section 291.7, the S.F. Health Department is required to make a payment to the garbage company for the past due service period on behalf of the account holder. This ensures that there will be no disruption with your garbage service. The Department of Public Health then places a lien on the property to recover the payment and any associated cost from the property owner.

How can I avoid having a lien recorded against my property?

If you received a Notice of a Recorded Refuse (Garbage) Lien from the S.F. Health Department, a lien has already been recorded against the property. To avoid future refuse liens from being recorded against your property, be sure to make timely payments on your garbage service bills to Recology.

Who should I contact if I have any questions or disputes regarding my garbage service or garbage service payments?

You must contact Recology at (415) 330-1300.

I recently made a payment to the garbage company, why did I still get a lien?

If Recology receives a payment AFTER the due date, it is considered late. A late payment is credited towards a future or current service period. A late garbage bill payment cannot be applied to a past due period. If payment is not made by the due date, the S.F. Health Department makes the payment on behalf of the account holder to the garbage company and a lien is placed on the property in which case the delinquent amount plus an administrative and recording fee will be owed to the Department of Public Health. An interest of 1.5% is compounded monthly from the date of the recordation until the lien is paid.

I am a property owner, why was a lien placed on my property for my tenant's delinquent garbage payment?

The property owner is held responsible for any delinquent garbage service payments on the property (Per S.F. Health Code, Article 6, Section 291.7).

When is a refuse lien released?

Lien releases are processed on a monthly basis at the end of the month. A release is scheduled only after payment has been made to the S.F. Health Department.

What happens if I don't pay the refuse lien?

If the lien is not paid, interest will accrue at a rate of 1.5% monthly until the end of the fiscal year, June 30. At the end of the fiscal year, the lien will be released and automatically transferred over to the property tax and will appear on your property tax bill as a special assessment (SA-70) for residential or apartment or (SA-71) for commercial.

How do I request a demand for a lien payoff?

Go to NextRequest and enter the following information in the description box:

• Property address
• Parcel (block/lot) information
• Title or escrow company name and address
• Escrow number
• Escrow officer's name, phone #, e-mail, and fax #

Be sure to select "Public Health: Demand for Refuse lien/Payoff" in the "Seclect a Department" dropdown menu.

Per the Sunshine Ordinance, allow 10 calendar days for processing. If the due date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, then the demand will be processed the following Monday. If the due date falls on a federal holiday, then the demand will be processed the next business day. No rush and no verbal demands granted.

How do I get information regarding past refuse liens?

If you are requesting information that is older than 5 years from the current date, visit the Assessor-Recorder office at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 190 to research past refuse liens. If requesting information within 5 years from the current date, you may submit a records request through NextRequest.

Have further questions?

You may also contact our office at (415) 252-3872. We are closed on City observed, legal holidays.