Auburn, WA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Nuisances covered
- Junk, unsightly buildings, junkyards, uncontained trash
- Notice to comply
- 10 calendar days to fix or appeal
- Civil penalty
- $500 first day plus $100/day after
- Recurrence penalty
- Doubles within 60 days of same violation
- Cost recovery
- Lien equal rank with property taxes
Summary
Auburn's public nuisance code, ACC 8.12.020, declares junk-covered yards, unsightly or dangerous buildings, junkyards and uncontained trash to be public nuisances citywide, and the city can order abatement, then bill the owner or place a lien if the owner does not act within the notice period.
Acts or omissions, places, conditions and things or uses that injure or endanger the safety, health, welfare, comfort or general well-being of the general public or the environment are declared to be public nuisances. Public nuisances include, but are not limited to, the following: ... C. Filthy, littered or trash-covered premises, including all buildings and structures thereon and areas adjacent thereto; D. Tin cans, bottles, glass, cans, ashes... and all other trash or abandoned material unless the same are kept in covered bins or metal receptacles approved by the city; ... F. Any unsightly and dangerous building, billboard or structure, as determined by the city building official; G. All places used or maintained as junkyards or dumping grounds, or for the wrecking, disassembling, repair or rebuilding of automobiles, trucks, tractors or machinery of any kind... which places are kept or maintained so as to provide harborage for insects, rodents or other pests, excluding properly zoned and licensed wrecking yards, junkyards or machinery being used.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 7023, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
020 lists blight conditions as public nuisances, including filthy, littered or trash-covered premises (C), trash or abandoned material unless kept in covered bins or metal receptacles approved by the city (D), any unsightly and dangerous building, billboard or structure as determined by the city building official (F), junkyards and vehicle-wrecking sites (G), and storing or allowing junk to accumulate outside an approved building or storage yard (Q), where junk is defined to include old appliances, scrap wood, discarded machinery, and inoperable travel trailers or boats.
080: the director of community development and public works serves written notice ordering repair, demolition or removal, and if the property owner neither complies nor appeals within 10 calendar days, the director may authorize the city to abate the nuisance itself. An owner can appeal to the hearing examiner within 10 calendar days of notice, and filing a timely appeal stays the abatement, though civil penalties keep accruing unless the owner wins. 065 authorizes a civil penalty of up to $500 for the first day plus $100 per day the violation continues, doubling if the same violation recurs within 60 days.
Violations & Fines
A dilapidated building, a junk-strewn yard, an uncovered trash pile that draws pests, or an unlicensed junkyard all qualify as nuisances under ACC 8.12.020 and can bring a director's abatement notice, a civil penalty starting at $500 for the first day and $100 for each additional day under ACC 1.25.065, and, if unpaid, a property lien ranking equally with city and county taxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a public nuisance property in Auburn?
How much notice does Auburn give before abating a blighted property?
What civil penalty can the city impose for an uncorrected nuisance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Auburn
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How other cities in King County handle property blight.