Greenville, NC Landscaping Rules: Tree Trimming (2026)

Section 6-5-9 puts a straightforward duty on the City Arborist: enforce the ordinance covering the trimming of trees on real property and the obstruction of public rights-of-way or public areas. The broader nuisance code fills in what counts as an obstruction. Under § 12-3-4(M), any fence, sign, billboard, shrubbery, bush, tree, mailbox, or combination of objects that blocks a motorist's view at a street, private driveway, or intersection approach, creating a traffic hazard, is declared a public nuisance the city can order abated.

Section 12-3-2 layers on a general maintenance duty: every property owner must keep weeds and grass under ten inches and must prevent vegetation from encroaching onto the sidewalk, driveway, or the curb and edge of the abutting street's pavement, and must keep the property and adjoining right-of-way free of the conditions listed in § 12-3-4. The Code Enforcement Division administers and enforces this chapter under § 12-3-3, issuing abatement orders before penalties attach.

Penalties escalate under § 12-3-11: a first violation of any provision in this Code of Ordinances draws a $100 civil penalty, a second violation within 365 days of the first draws $250, and a third or later violation within that same 365-day window draws $500 per violation. Payment is due to the city's Financial Services Department within five business days of the citation unless the owner appeals under § 1-1-20, and unpaid penalties can be pursued as a civil debt, sent to a collections agency, or offset against a state tax refund under the Setoff Debt Collection Act.