West Allis, WI Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Vacant plus disrepair/security defects
- Notice
- Written order, appeal in 10 days
- Appeal body
- Property Maintenance Code Appeals Board
- Tampering penalty
- $500-$2,000 forfeiture
Summary
West Allis prohibits owners from letting a vacant building sit in disrepair, junk-strewn, unsecured, or graffiti-covered, and can declare it a nuisance abandoned building subject to City abatement.
That the state of disrepair and deterioration of such vacant buildings creates a public nuisance, constitutes a hazard to the health, safety and welfare of the public, and creates a blighting influence on the surrounding neighborhood. ... Prohibition. No owner of any real property may maintain, allow or suffer an abandoned building to exist within the City.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: ?).
Full Breakdown
Section 18.09 declares it unlawful for an owner to let a vacant building sit in disrepair, calling it an 'abandoned building' if it also shows lawn or weed violations, junk or unlawful outdoor storage, broken or unsecured doors and windows, unremoved graffiti, snow or ice left on the abutting sidewalk, or general dilapidation. The Code Enforcement Director, Public Works Director, or Health Commissioner can order abatement, appealable to the Property Maintenance Code Appeals Board within 10 days; the City may then enter and correct the condition, billing costs as a special charge against the property.
Violations & Fines
Abatement costs are billed to the owner as a special property charge; tampering with posted abatement notices carries a separate forfeiture of $500 to $1,000 for a first offense, $1,000 to $2,000 for repeat offenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a building 'abandoned' under West Allis code?
Can an owner appeal an abandoned-building declaration?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in West Allis
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Property Blight in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Milwaukee County handle property blight.