Franklin County, KY Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Where it applies
- Franklin County, Kentucky, outside the limits of Frankfort
- Duty holder
- Owner, lessee, occupant or person in charge of property
- Abatement deadline
- Ten days from receipt of notice
- Fine
- $100 to $500 per conviction, each day separate
- Lien interest
- 1% per annum on advanced mobile home disposal costs
- Complaint goes to
- County Judge/Executive or Planning and Zoning
Summary
In unincorporated Franklin County, Kentucky, §§ 91.01 and 91.02 forbid owners, tenants and occupants of residential or commercial property from maintaining or permitting a nuisance: any condition that is dangerous, detrimental or adverse to others' health and welfare, or that diminishes neighboring property values. Junk, debris and wrecked vehicles are named examples.
NUISANCE. ... Any condition or the use of premises or of building exteriors in a residential or a commercial district which is or tends to render such properties as dangerous or detrimental or adverse to the health and welfare of others, or which causes or tends to cause substantial diminishing of the value of other properties in the area in which such premises are located. This includes, but is not limited to, the keeping or the depositing on or the scattering over the premises of any of the following: (1) Lumber, junk, trash or debris; (2) Abandoned, discarded or unused objects or equipment such as mobile or manufactured homes, campers, automobiles, furniture, stoves, refrigerators, freezers, cans or containers; ... § 91.02 DUTY OF MAINTENANCE OF PRIVATE PROPERTY. No person owning, leasing or occupying or having charge of any residential or commercial property shall maintain, create or permit such property or condition thereon to be a nuisance.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 91 of the Franklin County Code, adopted by the Fiscal Court as Ord. 14 (2005), defines a nuisance broadly. Section 91.01 covers any condition or use of premises or building exteriors in a residential or commercial district that is or tends to render properties dangerous or detrimental or adverse to the health and welfare of others, or that causes or tends to cause substantial diminishing of the value of other properties in the area. The definition names lumber, junk, trash or debris; abandoned, discarded or unused objects such as mobile or manufactured homes, campers, automobiles, furniture, stoves, refrigerators, freezers, cans or containers; partially dismantled or non-operating motor vehicles; and unsanitary matter. Septic material must be kept in containers that deny access to humans, flies, insects, rodents or animals, though overflowing septic tanks and lateral lines fall under Health Department regulations instead.
Section 91.02 puts the duty on any person owning, leasing, occupying or having charge of the property. Enforcement starts with a complaint filed with the County Judge/Executive or the office of Planning and Zoning. The County Enforcement Officer visits the site, decides whether a nuisance exists, and serves written notice directing the owner, lessee, occupant or person in charge to abate it within ten days of receipt (§ 91.05).
For abandoned mobile or manufactured homes and campers, § 91.04 sets a 30-day limit, with an exception for a camper stored when not in recreational use. Under § 91.06 the Fiscal Court provides for the cost of demolition and compaction of the abandoned structure into a dumpster, along with site cleaning, and the owner, lessee or occupant pays the rest of the disposal costs. If they do not pay, the Fiscal Court advances the dumpster and landfill charges, secured by a lien against the property with interest at 1% per annum, filed in the office of the County Court Clerk. Frankfort properties fall under the city's separate code.
Violations & Fines
Under § 91.99(B), a nuisance kept longer than ten days after notice from the County Enforcement Officer brings a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $500 for each conviction. Each day of violation is a separate offense. Anything else in Chapter 91 without its own penalty falls under the general penalty in § 10.99, a fine of not more than $250.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a nuisance on private property in Franklin County, Kentucky?
How do I report a blighted property?
How long does an owner have to clean up after notice?
Who pays to remove an abandoned mobile home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Franklin County
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