Rock County, WI Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Rock County Health Officer / Public Health Dept.
- Abatement deadline
- 24 hours to 30+ days by order
- Penalty basis
- Forfeiture per Resolution 08-8A-054
- Default penalty
- Up to 60 days county jail
- Repeat violation
- New offense every 10 days
- Cost recovery
- Special assessment under Wis. Stat. 254.59
Summary
Rock County bans any public nuisance on private property, including a structure so unsanitary or deteriorated it is unfit for habitation. The Health Officer investigates, orders abatement within a set deadline, and can have the county fix the property and bill the owner if the order is ignored.
(1) Public Health Nuisances Prohibited - No person shall erect, construe, cause, continue, maintain, or permit any public nuisance within the County. Any person who shall cause, create or maintain a nuisance or who shall in any way aid or contribute to the causing, creating or maintenance thereof shall be guilty of a violation of this chapter, and shall be liable for all costs and expenses attendant upon the removal and correction of such a nuisance and to the penalty provided in subsection (5) of this section. ... (O) Unhealthy or Unsanitary Condition - Any condition or situation which renders a structure or any part thereof unsanitary, unhealthy and unfit for human habitation, occupancy, or use, or renders any property unsanitary or unhealthy.
Full Breakdown
112 of the Rock County Code of Ordinances makes it unlawful for anyone to "erect, construe, cause, continue, maintain, or permit any public nuisance within the County," and puts the abatement duty squarely on the property owner. 112(5)(A) requires a written order specifying the corrective work, a deadline of 24 hours, 5, 10, 30 or more days depending on severity, and the penalty for missing it. 111(3)(A) and Wis. 0113 once an order is violated; the County Corporation Counsel handles injunction cases and the District Attorney handles forfeiture actions.
112(5)(E) lets the local governing body, or the County if the town does not act, enter the property, perform the abatement, and recover the cost directly from the owner or as a special assessment on the property under Wis. 59. A separate violation is deemed committed for each 10-day period the condition continues (reduced to 24 hours for an immediate health hazard), so an uncorrected building keeps accruing penalties rather than facing a single fine.
Violations & Fines
General forfeitures follow the amounts set in County Resolution 08-8A-054; default on payment can mean county jail for up to 60 days under Section 6.111(5)(A). Each 10-day period a violation continues (24 hours for an immediate health hazard) is a separate offense. If the owner never abates, the county can perform the work itself and bill the owner or place the cost as a special tax assessment on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a building a nuisance under Rock County's code?
Who enforces dangerous building rules in Rock County?
What happens if I miss the deadline in an abatement order?
Can penalties keep adding up if I do not fix the property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rock County
Compare Rock County to another location·View the Wisconsin property maintenance overview
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