Terrebonne Parish, LA Code Violation Reporting: How to Report (2026)

Terrebonne Parish Code Sec. 14-303 gives the Department of Planning and Zoning authority to investigate nuisance complaints under Chapter 14's nuisance abatement ordinances, which cover conditions such as junk, derelict and dilapidated structures, overgrown lots, and abandoned or inoperative vehicles anywhere in the parish. A complaint can be initiated by the department on its own or brought by any resident, and once a complaint is made the department must conduct an on-site inspection and compile a written report citing its specific findings and recommendations, accompanied by a photograph of the property taken on or near the day of the inspection.

If the inspection confirms a violation, Sec. 14-304 requires the department to issue a nuisance warning containing the nature, date, time and location of the violation, the corrective action needed, and the department's phone number and address; the deadline to comply is five days for most violations, but fifteen days for dilapidated and dangerous structures and ten days for junked or abandoned vehicles. A warning stays valid for twelve months, and a repeat or continuing violation within that period extends it another twelve months without a new warning.

Failure to correct the problem after a warning leads to a nuisance citation with an assessed fine, which the property owner can contest by requesting a hearing before the nuisance administrative hearing officer within seventy-two hours of service. At the director's discretion, violations posing a risk to welfare, safety or health can skip the warning-first process and go directly to a hearing. Separately, Sec. 14-302(b) lets planning and zoning refer a violation to law enforcement for criminal prosecution after a warning letter has been issued.