Eugene, OR Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Core duty section
- EC 6.007
- Derelict structure defined
- EC 6.005
- Abatement notice period
- 10 days to abate or protest
- City abatement recourse
- Cost + overhead becomes property lien
- General penalty
- Up to $200, EC 6.992
Summary
Eugene bars any person responsible from causing or allowing a nuisance, including a derelict structure that is unoccupied and unsecured, partially built, deteriorated, pest-infested or boarded up, and lets the city post a 10-day abatement notice and bill the cost as a property lien.
(1) No person responsible shall cause or permit a nuisance on public or private property. (2) The person responsible shall be liable for injury, damage or loss to person or property caused by the negligent failure to abate any nuisance described in this code. (4) Neither the duty of the person responsible to keep property free of nuisances nor his/her failure to do so is dependent upon notice from the city to abate the nuisance. Derelict structure. A building or structure that is unfit for human habitation, or poses an incipient hazard, or is detrimental to public health, safety or welfare, as a result of one or more of the following conditions: (a) Is unoccupied and unsecured; (b) Is partially constructed; (c) Is an abandoned structure or attractive nuisance; (d) Is in condition of deterioration; (e) Has an infestation of pests; (f) Has doors or windows boarded over.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 20739, passed June 8, 2026).
Full Breakdown
005 as the property owner, person in charge, or person who caused the condition, to cause or permit a nuisance on public or private property, and states the duty to keep property nuisance-free does not depend on the city first sending notice. 005 defines a "derelict structure" as a building unfit for human habitation, an incipient hazard, or detrimental to public health, safety or welfare because it is unoccupied and unsecured, partially constructed, an abandoned structure or attractive nuisance, in a state of deterioration, infested with pests, has boarded-over doors or windows, or is otherwise flagged by the health officer.
010(q) separately lists "causing or allowing a derelict structure to exist on any premises" among the nuisances the city can abate. 080 requires posting notice on the property and serving or mailing it to the responsible party, giving 10 days to abate or file a written protest that goes to a hearings official for a binding determination. 100 lets the finance officer assess the full cost, plus administrative overhead, as a lien against the property, enforced the same way as a street improvement lien.
Violations & Fines
Beyond the abatement lien process, EC 6.105 makes clear that abatement is a separate remedy from criminal prosecution, so the city can pursue both simultaneously; a general Chapter 6 violation not tied to a specific listed penalty is punishable by a fine of up to $200 under EC 6.992, and prompt abatement within the 10-day window may be considered by the court in sentencing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a building a 'derelict structure' under Eugene's code?
Does Eugene have to warn me before citing a blighted property?
What happens if I don't clean up a derelict property after notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Eugene
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