Burlington, WI Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 181-8, Failure to comply
- City remedy
- Abate condition, bill owner as special charge
- Unpaid-bill deadline
- 60 days before tax roll levy
- Court remedy
- Injunctive relief, Racine County Circuit Court
- Nuisance cross-reference
- Chapter 227 and Wis. Stats. Ch. 823
Summary
A Property Maintenance Code violation that an owner fails to correct becomes a declared public nuisance under Burlington's Chapter 181. The City can clean, repair or abate the blighted condition itself and charge the owner, or pursue an injunction in Racine County Circuit Court.
Cause work to be done. Upon failure to comply with an order where there is proof of service of said order which requires that any premises or property be cleaned or condition abated or improved in accordance with this chapter, the City may cause such cleaning, improvement, abatement or removal of the offending combustible or incombustible materials, debris or refuse. Such repair or removal shall be deemed a special benefit to such property and the costs of the same shall be charged against the owner(s) of the property. If the cost of the same is not paid within 60 days, it shall be levied as a special charge against the property as authorized by § 66.0627, Wis. Stats. ... Declaration of public nuisance. A violation of this chapter is deemed a public nuisance and may be proceeded against as set forth under Chapter 227 of this Code and Chapter 823 of the Wisconsin Statutes.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4997580; v29 updated 2026-07-07; through 07-07-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 181-8 governs what happens after a landlord or property owner ignores a correction order. Subsection A(1) allows the City to issue a citation carrying the Code's general penalty, and a citation can be issued under § 1-5 without waiting for the order process to run its course. Subsection A(2), Cause work to be done, lets the City itself clean, repair, abate or remove the offending combustible or incombustible materials, debris or refuse once there is proof the correction order was served and the deadline passed.
0627, Wis. , meaning it ultimately lands on the property tax bill. Subsection A(3) also lets the City seek injunctive relief in Racine County Circuit Court in addition to these remedies. Subsection B declares that any violation of Chapter 181 is a public nuisance that may be proceeded against under Chapter 227 (Nuisances) of the Burlington Code and Chapter 823 of the Wisconsin Statutes, giving the City both the local ordinance and the state nuisance-abatement framework to fall back on for chronically blighted properties.
Violations & Fines
Beyond the Code's general penalty of $5 to $500 for a first offense and $10 to $1,000 for a repeat offense, an owner who lets a violation stand faces the City performing the abatement work directly and billing the full cost, which becomes a special charge on the property tax roll if unpaid within 60 days. The City can also sue for an injunction in Racine County Circuit Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Burlington declare my property a public nuisance?
Will the City fix a blighted property itself?
What if I cannot pay the City's cleanup bill right away?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Burlington
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