Carmel City Code § 6-88 (Removal of Weeds, Debris, and Other Such Rank Vegetation) requires owners to remove weeds and rank vegetation over six inches average height. 'Weeds' include rank, choking, or USDA-listed plants, but common and swamp milkweed are excluded. Agricultural Districts are exempt.
Carmel's weed law is codified at City Code § 6-88, 'Removal of Weeds, Debris, and Other Such Rank Vegetation.' Subsection (c) requires all owners of real property within the City to cut and remove weeds and other rank vegetation exceeding an average height of six inches and to keep the property clear of debris. The ordinance defines 'weeds' broadly to include any plant that is not valued where it is growing and is of rank growth, that tends to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants, or that is listed as a weed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture publication 'Common Weeds of the United States' or a similar government publication. Importantly, the definition carves out common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), which are not treated as weeds — a pollinator-friendly exception. The section does not apply to property in an Agricultural District. Enforcement is handled by Carmel Code Enforcement, and violations carry the general penalties in City Code § 1-11, with each day of continued violation constituting a separate offense. Indiana Code 36-7-10.1 backs this local authority and sets out the notice-and-abatement framework under which a municipality can mow a noncompliant property and recover the cost.
After a notice of violation, an owner who does not remove the weeds may have the City abate the nuisance and be billed for the cost, which can become a lien under IC 36-7-10.1. General penalties under § 1-11 also apply, with each day treated as a separate offense.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Carmel's UDO allows manufactured/factory-built homes in single-family and two-family districts only if they exceed 950 square feet of occupied space, meet th...
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