Marion County, OR Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- County code
- MCC 8.10 (Ord. 1323, 2012)
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Marion County only
- Civil fine
- Up to $500 per violation
- Each day
- Separate violation
- Cities excluded
- Salem, Keizer, Woodburn, etc.
Summary
In unincorporated Marion County, Oregon, accumulating solid waste or inoperable vehicles that are offensive, hazardous, smelly, or unsightly is a public nuisance under the county Nuisance Abatement Ordinance (MCC 8.10, Ord. 1323). Salem, Keizer, Woodburn, and other cities enforce their own property-maintenance codes inside city limits.
No person shall store, collect, maintain or display on private property within Marion County solid waste or inoperable vehicles that (A) are offensive or hazardous to the health and safety of the public, (B) create offensive odors, or (C) create a condition of unsightliness.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 1489, passed April 15, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Marion County Code Chapter 8.10 (the nuisance abatement ordinance, Ord. 1323, 2012) makes it unlawful to store, collect, maintain, or display solid waste or inoperable vehicles on private property when they are offensive or hazardous, create offensive odors, or create a condition of unsightliness. An 'inoperable vehicle' is one without a lawfully affixed unexpired plate, or disabled, wrecked, dismantled, abandoned, or junked. Enforcement is complaint-driven by the county director, who investigates, issues a cease-and-desist notice, and demands abatement within a set period (not to exceed 30 days). The chapter applies only in unincorporated Marion County; it expressly exempts areas within incorporated cities, which run their own nuisance and blight programs.
Violations & Fines
Violations carry a civil fine of not more than $500 per violation, with each day of an ongoing violation a separate offense; the county may also summarily abate and lien the cost (MCC 8.10.100).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a junk car in my yard a violation in Marion County?
Does the county handle blight inside Salem?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marion County
Compare Marion County to another location·View the Oregon property maintenance overview
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