Debris

• Property must be kept clean.
• Violations include junk piles, trash, appliances, etc. placed outside the residence, on porches, or in yards.
• Request Pickup of Bulky Items: Place items at the curb no more than one day before your scheduled pick up.
• Citation Process
  
  • A courtesy notice will be sent once per calendar year allowing  days to bring the property into compliance.
  • A second 7-day Notice of Violation will follow if not corrected.
  • Tickets are issued every 7 days thereafter for $25, $50, and $100.
  • The maximum fine is $250, which is a summons to Environmental Court if not corrected.
  • Repeat offenses will continue in the process without having to be re-noticed in a calendar year if noticed previously in the same year.

Grass and Weeds

• Property owners are responsible for keeping grass cut and debris picked up.
• Property owners will be cited if:
  • Grass and/or weeds on properties with a house or other improvement (improved property) is taller than 12 inches.
  • Grass and/or weeds on vacant lot is taller than 18 inches, provided the property has never been improved before.
  • Your property is littered with falling trees or branches or if plantings and shrubs encroach over or into sidewalks and streets creating an impediment.
• Citation Process
  
  • A courtesy notice will be sent once per calendar year allowing 7 days to bring the property into compliance.
  • A second 7-day Notice of Violation will follow if not corrected.
  • Tickets are issued every 7 days thereafter for $25, $50, and $100.
  • The maximum fine is $250, which is a summons to Environmental Court if not corrected.
  • Repeat offenses will continue in the process without having to be re-noticed in a calendar year if noticed previously in the same year.

Inoperable/Unregistered Vehicles

• Vehicles parked on private property must be kept in operable condition and have current tags and registration.
• If you are storing, restoring, or doing major repairs to a vehicle, you must keep it enclosed in a building (like a garage).
• An inoperable/unregistered vehicle is one that is in wrecked, dismantled, or inoperable condition, or lacking current tags and registration.
• If you have these or receive a notice for an inoperable/unregistered vehicle, please repair, register, or remove it from the property immediately, or it will be subject to fines up to $250 per day, each day is a separate offense.
• We can tow the vehicle but prefer to do so by request in lieu of fines.
• Although the City does not endorse any specific company or program, there are organizations that will pay you a salvage fee to haul your vehicle off your property.
• Citation Process
  
  • An environmental inspector will provide a notice to the owner or tenant of record allowing 15 days to correct the violation.
  • The owner of the vehicle or person at the property will be given an addition 10 days if not corrected at the follow up inspection.
  • A notice will be placed on the vehicle advising it is subject to tow or fines.
  • If the vehicle has not been brought into compliance after these two attempts, the next step would be a summons to environmental court unless a good faith effort to remedy the violation has been discussed with the inspector beforehand.

Environmental Court

• Property owners or tenants who have been cited and have not corrected the violations in the allotted time may be summoned to Environmental Court, where they may face fines.
• Environmental Court is typically held the third Wednesday of the month at 10 AM in the Municipal Courtroom, 120 East Black Street.
• Cases include overgrown lots, property debris and structural violations. Zoning code violations also are heard before this court.
• Fines/penalties can be up to $1,087.50 or imprisonment for up to 30 days.
• If the City has to abate the problem, owners will be billed and a lien placed on the property if the bill is not paid.

Report a Violation

• Call the Neighborhood Inspections Office at 803-329-7014. You do not need to give your name to file a report.