Mobile County, AL Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Mobile County only
- Prohibited
- Litter, junk, inoperable vehicles on premises
- Exempt
- Farms and on-site salvage under 60 days
- Demolition notice window
- Up to 60 days to remedy
- Appeal window
- 10 days to circuit court, bond required
- Cost recovery
- Special lien, superior to non-tax liens
Summary
Unincorporated Mobile County treats junk-strewn lots and unsafe buildings alike as a public nuisance the County Commission can order fixed or torn down. Section 45-49-170.51 bans keeping a lot, junkyard or premises littered with garbage, debris or inoperable vehicles, while Sections 45-49-170.70 to 45-49-170.75 let the county demolish a dangerous structure and bill the owner for the cost.
(a) It shall be unlawful and constitute a public nuisance for the owner or other person in charge or control of a building, lot, junkyard, or other premises, within the unincorporated territory of Mobile County to fail to keep the lot, junkyard, or premises clean and free from garbage, refuse, litter, junk, debris, salvaged materials, household furniture, trash, used motor vehicle tires, inoperable motor vehicles, kitchen and other household appliances, rags, paper, cardboard, and other nondecorative matter, including any materials within which water may accumulate or which may shelter or encourage the growth of insects or rodents, or materials which generate obnoxious odors, or which offend the esthetics of the community, and which thereby cause a substantial diminution in the value of other property nearby or which threaten the health and safety of any citizen.
Full Breakdown
Mobile County's public nuisance premises subpart, Act 94-216, applies only in the unincorporated territory. 51(a) makes it unlawful for an owner or anyone in control of a building, lot, junkyard or other premises to leave it littered with garbage, refuse, litter, junk, debris, salvaged materials, old furniture, used tires, inoperable vehicles, appliances, rags, paper or cardboard, including anything that collects water, shelters pests, smells, or otherwise diminishes nearby property values or threatens public health. Subsection (b) exempts farm buildings, farm equipment and materials stored on a farm, along with businesses currently burning or recycling their own wood, salvage or scrap materials on-site for no more than 60 days.
75 (Act 2002-323) give the county commission authority to order it fixed or torn down. The appropriate county official gives the owner and any mortgage holders certified-mail notice, posted at the building within three days, allowing up to 60 days to remedy or demolish. The owner may request a hearing before the commission, held five to 30 days after the request; a decision may be appealed to circuit court within 10 days by filing notice and a cost bond. If the commission orders demolition, it fixes the cost by resolution and assesses it as a special lien on the property, superior to every other lien except unpaid taxes, added directly to the ad valorem tax bill.
Violations & Fines
Failing to keep a premises clean under Section 45-49-170.51 lets the County Commission sue in the Circuit Court of Mobile County to abate or enjoin the nuisance under Section 45-49-170.54, with the court authorized to assess all abatement costs, attorney's fees, court costs and other litigation expenses against the owner. In the separate demolition track, an owner who ignores the notice loses the chance to contest the nuisance finding, and once the county tears the structure down, the resulting lien is superior to all liens except tax liens and stays in force until paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a public nuisance property in Mobile County?
Are farms exempt from the nuisance premises rule?
How does the county get an unsafe building torn down?
Who pays for a county-ordered demolition?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mobile County
Compare Mobile County to another location·View the Alabama property maintenance overview
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