Apex, NC Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Property blight in Apex is enforced through several overlapping ordinances. (1) Town Code Chapter 14 (Offenses and Miscellaneous Provisions) declares a public nuisance the uncontrolled growth of noxious weeds and grass; the accumulation of offensive animal or vegetable matter dangerous and prejudicial to public health; the accumulation of rubbish or trash creating a fire hazard dangerous to public safety; and any other condition that constitutes a public nuisance. (2) Town Code Chapter 20, Article III governs Abandoned, Junked, and Disabled Vehicles. Under Apex Police Department General Order 13.13 (Abandoned, Junked, Health or Safety Hazard and Aesthetic Nuisance Vehicles), officers may not enter private property to inspect a vehicle without consent of the property owner, occupant, or lessee, except as authorized by NCGS 15-27.2. The State authority for the junked-vehicle ordinance is NCGS 160A-303 (Removal and disposal of junked and abandoned motor vehicles), which allows the Town to require removal of a vehicle that is (a) partially dismantled or wrecked, (b) cannot be self-propelled or moved in the manner in which it originally was intended to move, (c) more than five years old and appears to be worth less than $100, or (d) does not display a current license plate. (3) Apex Town Code Chapter 5, Article VII (Housing Code) adopts minimum housing standards under NCGS 160D-12, allowing the Town to declare structures unfit for human habitation and to require repair, vacation, or demolition. (4) Stormwater, erosion control, and accumulation of construction debris are enforced under the UDO. Enforcement follows a Notice of Violation, then escalating civil penalties. The registered owner of a junked vehicle may appeal the determination to remove the vehicle under Town Code Sec. 20-36(b). Reports of property nuisance go through the Town's Report a Concern portal or to Apex Planning at 919-249-3418.