Shawnee County, KS Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- First violation fine
- Up to $500.00
- Second violation fine
- Up to $1,000.00
- Third+ violation fine
- Up to $1,500.00
- Abatement deadline after conviction
- 30 days
- Who decides "unfit for occupancy"
- Shawnee County Health Department
- Unpaid costs
- Become a tax lien on the property
Summary
A structure the county health department finds unfit for human occupancy, or one left burnt or unsecured against trespassers, is a nuisance under Sec. 23-30 and 23-31, with fines up to $1,500 for repeat violations plus a mandatory 30-day abatement order.
(10)Any structure that, in the opinion of the Shawnee County Health Department, is unfit for human occupancy. For purposes of this article, a structure is "unfit for human occupancy" if the structure is unsafe because of the degree to which the structure is in disrepair or lacks maintenance, is unsanitary, vermin or rat infested, contains filth and contamination, or lacks permitted sanitary facilities, or because the location of the structure constitutes a hazard to the occupants of the structure or to the public...(d) Any person...convicted of a violation of this article shall be fined as follows: (1) For the first violation, a fine of not more than $500.00; (2) For the second violation, a fine of not more than $1,000.00; and (3) For the third or subsequent violation, a fine of not more than $1,500.00.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 23-30(a) presumes a nuisance exists on platted lots, or unplatted parcels of four acres or less with a residence on or next to them, when specific conditions are maintained, including: a vacant or unoccupied structure not secured against unauthorized access (item 8); a structure burnt and not removed or repaired within a reasonable time (item 9); and a structure the Shawnee County Health Department opines is "unfit for human occupancy" because it is unsafe from disrepair, lacks maintenance, is unsanitary, is vermin- or rat-infested, contains filth, lacks sanitary facilities, or its location is hazardous (item 10).
Sec. 23-31 separately makes it a violation to maintain or permit such a structure to remain on any property, and Sec. 23-32 addresses placarding and requires junked, wrecked, or abandoned vehicles left more than 30 days to be enclosed in a building, screened by an approved fence, or on blocks with 18 inches of ground clearance. Enforcement runs through Sec. 23-33: the determining agency or county counselor's office can serve the owner notice by personal service or certified mail demanding abatement within a reasonable time, except where exigent circumstances (an immediate health or safety threat) allow faster county counselor action.
Fines escalate under Sec. 00 for a third or subsequent violation, and every conviction must also be paired with a court order to abate the nuisance within 30 days or reimburse the county for abating it, plus restitution for any damage caused.
Violations & Fines
Violations are investigated by any law enforcement agency, code enforcement officer, the county weed department, or the county health department under Sec. 23-34(a); a single course of conduct that breaks more than one subsection can be charged and convicted separately for each. Beyond the escalating $500/$1,000/$1,500 fines, the county counselor may pursue a civil declaratory judgment, injunction, or other equitable relief, and unpaid abatement costs become a lien on the property collected the same as delinquent taxes under Sec. 23-34(i).
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a building "unfit for human occupancy" in Shawnee County?
How much can I be fined for a blighted property violation?
What happens if I don't fix a cited nuisance within 30 days?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shawnee County
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