In unincorporated St. Clair County, the Property Maintenance Code requires all vacant structures, premises, and land be kept clean, safe, secure and sanitary so they do not cause blight. Inside cities like Belleville or O'Fallon, the municipality's own code governs.
St. Clair County adopted a Property Maintenance Code (Chapter 29, based on the International Property Maintenance Code) that applies to unincorporated land. Section 29-3-3 bars blighting conditions on vacant property; Section 29-3-4 requires exterior premises stay clean and sanitary. The county code official issues a written notice of violation giving a reasonable time to correct, and unabated conditions can be abated by the county with costs charged as a lien. Municipalities (Belleville, East St. Louis, Fairview Heights, Cahokia Heights) enforce their own blight ordinances within city limits.
A Property Maintenance Code violation is a petty offense under 730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-75; each day a violation continues after notice is a separate offense (SCC 29-1-36).
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how St. Clair County's property blight rules stack up against other locations.
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