Plymouth County, MA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Authority
- MGL c.139 §1
- Covers
- Burnt, dilapidated, dangerous buildings
- Process
- Written notice, then hearing
- Remedy
- Repair, removal, or lien
Summary
Blighted and dangerous buildings are handled under MGL c.139 §1, which lets a community, after written notice and a hearing, declare a burnt, dilapidated, or dangerous structure a nuisance and order it repaired or removed. Counties have no role.
after written notice to the owner of a burnt, dilapidated or dangerous building or other structure, or his authorized agent, or to the owner of a vacant parcel of land, and after a hearing, make and record an order adjudging it to be a nuisance
Full Breakdown
Property blight is a municipal matter grounded in state law, not county ordinance. Under MGL c.139 §1, the board or officer in Brockton, Plymouth, Marshfield, Scituate, Duxbury, or Wareham may, after written notice to the owner and a hearing, make and record an order adjudging a burnt, dilapidated, or dangerous building or structure to be a nuisance. The community can then order the owner to remove or make it safe, and act itself if the owner does not. Boards of health add parallel authority over unsanitary conditions such as trash accumulation and vermin harborage under MGL c.111 §31. Together these tools drive local code enforcement against neglected property.
Violations & Fines
An owner who ignores a c.139 §1 nuisance order can have the community demolish or secure the structure and lien the cost against the property, plus separate sanitary code fines up to $500 per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the town force a neighbor to fix a derelict house?
What happens if the owner ignores the order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Plymouth County
Compare Plymouth County to another location·View the Massachusetts property maintenance overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.