Vacant Lot Maintenance: Kentwood vs Wyoming

Who keeps vacant lots mowed in Kent County?

The property owner, under the local ordinance and Michigan's Noxious Weed Act. Your city or township, or the weed commissioner, can enforce cutting and bill the owner.

Is there a county vacant-lot ordinance?

No. Kent County does not regulate vacant-lot upkeep. The rules that apply come from your municipality plus the statewide noxious weed statute.

Does Wyoming, MI have a vacant property registration ordinance?

No - as of May 2026, the City of Wyoming does not publish a citywide vacant-property registration ordinance, and we found no fee-based vacant-building registry in the City Code. Vacant-lot conditions are instead controlled through Chapter 82 of the Wyoming Code (Trees and Weeds, with maximum vegetation height limits), Chapter 30 (Environment, nuisance accumulations), and Chapter 10 (Buildings, via the locally-adopted International Property Maintenance Code). Check the Wyoming City Council agenda at wyomingmi.gov for any future adoption.

How tall can weeds and grass be on a vacant lot in Wyoming, MI?

Under the City's mowing ordinance (within Chapter 82 - Trees and Weeds), maximum vegetation height is 6 inches for developed residential, 8 inches for undeveloped residential (the category most vacant lots fall into), 6 inches for business and industrial property, and 12 inches for agricultural property. Exceedances are enforced by Wyoming Code Enforcement Officers within Building Inspections; civil-infraction tickets are returnable to 62A District Court. The City may mow the lot and lien the cost to the property as a special assessment if the owner does not cut after notice.

What happens to tax-foreclosed vacant lots in Wyoming, MI?

Tax-delinquent and tax-foreclosed parcels in Wyoming flow through the Kent County Treasurer's office under the Michigan General Property Tax Act (MCL 211.78 et seq.). Unlike Wayne County (Detroit) or Genesee County (Flint), Kent County does not operate a large-scale county land bank with active demolition operations - vacant land in Wyoming is more commonly resold for redevelopment through the Treasurer's annual tax-foreclosure auction. Severely deteriorated structures on those parcels may be demolished by the City under the state Dangerous Buildings procedure (MCL 125.539 et seq.) before transfer.