Montgomery County, VA Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Sec 7-86 declares weeds growing in excess of fifteen (15) inches in height to be a public nuisance and makes it unlawful for an owner or occupant to permit them on any parcel, defined by Sec 7-85 as real estate in areas zoned residential, business, commercial or industrial, or within a platted subdivision. The owner and occupant hold a 'joint and several duty' to immediately cut, remove or destroy weeds exceeding the fifteen-inch line. Sec 7-87 sets a civil penalty of $50 for a first violation, $200 for a repeat violation not from the same set of facts within twelve months, with each business day a violation persists counted as a separate offense, capped at $3,000 in a twelve-month period for violations arising from one set of facts.

Before the county acts, Sec 7-88 requires the county administrator or designee to give written notice by certified mail or hand delivery describing the violation and the parcel, demanding removal within ten calendar days, and offering a hearing if requested within that window. If the owner still has not cut the weeds, Sec 7-89 lets county forces or a hired contractor do the work, and Sec 7-90 turns the cost plus a $150 (or 25 percent, whichever is less, minimum $25) administrative fee into a lien on the property, ranking with unpaid tax liens.