Greenwich, CT Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing officer
- Nuisance Abatement Officer, appointed by First Selectman
- Trigger
- Vehicles visible from residential premises in quantity
- First step
- Written warning by certified mail or personal delivery
- Abatement deadline
- 30 days after citation to remove vehicle
- Fine
- Up to $100 per offense, per day
- Appeal window
- 10 days to Nuisance Abatement Officer
Summary
Greenwich's nuisance ordinance treats an inoperative, abandoned or discarded motor vehicle or motor vehicle parts as a public nuisance once found in substantial quantity on a property and visible from a neighboring residential premises. Code of Ordinances Chapter 6C bars any owner from allowing that condition, and the Town's Nuisance Abatement Officer, appointed by the First Selectman, enforces removal through a formal warning and citation process.
(h)Nuisance shall mean the existence of a condition involving any one (1) or more of the following items: trees, shrubs or vegetation which are hazardous or injurious to the public health, safety and welfare or which would cause substantial depreciation in the value of real property in the neighborhood or which have been determined to be a nuisance pursuant to any other provision of this Municipal Code, building and construction materials, landscape and fill materials, demolition debris, motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts, fixed- and rotary wing aircraft and parts, boats and boat parts, tires, appliances, furniture, metal, plastic, cardboard or glass containers, paper and rags which are inoperative, abandoned or discarded; which are found in substantial quantities in or upon any premises and are visible from any third-party residential premises; and which are hazardous or injurious to the public health, safety and welfare or which cause substantial depreciation in the value of real property in the neighborhood. ... (a)No owner of any premises shall permit, cause, keep, maintain, create, or suffer to exist any nuisance as defined in this chapter on any such premises.
Full Breakdown
Section 6C-2(h) of the Code defines a nuisance to include motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts, along with junk, tires, appliances and construction debris, that are inoperative, abandoned or discarded, found in substantial quantities and visible from any third-party residential premises. Section 6C-3 makes it the duty of every property owner not to permit, cause, keep, maintain, create or suffer such a nuisance, and requires the owner to abate it at his or her own expense once notified. Enforcement runs through the Nuisance Abatement Officer, appointed by and reporting to the First Selectman.
Under Section 6C-5, the officer must first mail or personally deliver a written warning describing the vehicle problem and the inspection date. If the condition remains unabated for more than 30 days but less than 12 months, Section 6C-6 requires a written citation ordering abatement within 30 days. The citation must state the right to appeal to the Nuisance Abatement Officer within 10 days, and warns that a fine up to $100 applies for each offense if abatement is not completed, with each additional day of noncompliance treated as a separate offense.
Section 6C-8 gives the owner a hearing before a Hearing Officer appointed by the First Selectman, held 15 to 30 days after a timely appeal, with the citation stayed pending that appeal. If the vehicle is not removed, Section 6C-10 lets the Town abate the nuisance itself and bill the owner for the full cost of removal, and Section 6C-11 authorizes the Nuisance Abatement Officer to enter private property, other than a private residence, to carry out the abatement.
Violations & Fines
A written citation under Section 6C-6 warns that failing to remove an abandoned or inoperative vehicle within the 30-day abatement order subjects the owner to a fine not exceeding $100 for each offense, with every additional day of continued violation counted as a separate offense. If the fine and abatement costs go unpaid after a Hearing Officer's assessment, the Town may file a certified record of assessment with the Superior Court, which enters judgment and permits a levy of execution against the owner without further notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a vehicle an illegal nuisance in Greenwich?
How does the Town notify an owner before citing them?
What happens if the owner never removes the vehicle?
Can the Town enter my property to remove an abandoned vehicle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greenwich
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