Sedona, AZ Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Notice-to-comply window
- 30 days
- Notice method
- Certified mail or personal service
- Imminent hazard action
- Summary abatement, no notice
- Unpaid cost becomes
- Lien via A.R.S. § 9-499
- Appeal path
- Hearing before city council
- Illegal dumping penalty
- Class 1 misdemeanor, SCC 8.10.220
Summary
Sedona requires owners to clear rubbish, trash, weeds and dilapidated structures that endanger public health and safety within 30 days of notice, or the city abates the hazard itself, bills the owner, and can record the cost as a lien on the property.
“Dilapidated” means in a state of disrepair or ruin as a result of age, misuse or neglect. ... ... A. The owner, lessee, or occupant of property is required to remove rubbish, trash, weeds or other accumulation of filth, debris or dilapidated structures which constitute a hazard to public health and safety from buildings, grounds, lots, contiguous sidewalks, streets and alleys. B. Written notice shall be served on the owner, or statutory agent, and to the occupant or lessee, by certified mail or personal service, to comply with this section within 30 days. ... ... C. If the owner, lessee, or occupant does not remove the rubbish, trash, weeds, filth, debris or dilapidated structures, and abate the condition that constitutes a hazard to public health and safety, the city may, at the expense of the owner or occupant, remove, abate, or cause the removal thereof and the owner of record shall be liable for all costs incurred.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Initiative Ordinance 2026-01, approved by voters at the July 21, 2026 election).
Full Breakdown
210, in the code's Article II on Abatement of Rubbish and Dilapidated Structures, requires the owner, lessee or occupant of property to remove rubbish, trash, weeds or other accumulation of filth, debris or dilapidated structures that constitute a hazard to public health and safety from buildings, grounds, lots, contiguous sidewalks, streets and alleys. 200 as a state of disrepair or ruin resulting from age, misuse or neglect. The city serves written notice by certified mail or personal service giving 30 days to comply, and the notice states the estimated cost of removal and may list available contractors; it can be recorded with the county recorder and released once the violation is cured.
S. Section 9-499 if unpaid within 30 days of billing. Owners can request a hearing before the city council to contest the notice or the assessment before the deadline runs. 215 lets the city manager, designee or prosecutor ask the municipal court for a court-ordered abatement order after a public hearing, with appeal to superior court available. 220.
Violations & Fines
Failure to comply with a 30-day abatement notice under SCC 8.10.210 lets the city remove the hazard and bill the owner for all costs, which become a lien on the property if unpaid within 30 days. An imminent hazard can be summarily secured by the city manager without notice under SCC 8.10.180(C), and illegal dumping of rubbish or debris under SCC 8.10.220 is a class 1 misdemeanor or civil violation enforced through Chapter 1.15 SCC.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Sedona property owner have to fix a dilapidated structure?
Can Sedona board up my building without warning me first?
What happens if I don't pay Sedona's abatement bill?
Can I challenge a blight abatement notice in Sedona?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sedona
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