Legal Question in Real Estate Law in California

Re: Side walk Ownership

I think the arrnagements for sidewalks varies from city to city and from neighborhood to neighborhood, but a common arrangement is that the homeowner owns the fee title but that is subject to a perpetual easement for public sidewalk purposes. Thus, although you own the land the sidewalk occupies (in most cases), the public has a right to use the sidewalk for passage of pedestrians.

Other situations are possible, but most conceivable arrangements would not support police intervention.

This does not mean nothing can be done. I believe a number of cities have passed ordinances banning skateboarding on busy sidewalks or where it creates a danger or nuisance, and you could ask your city council to do the same. Then, the police could enforce the ordinance. It might also be possible to bring a private suit to have the skateboarding declared a public nuisance, or a private nuisance, depending upon how many tenants are affected by the ruckus.

See Civil Code sections 3479, 3480, 3481, 3491, 3493, 3494, and 3501.