Bartholomew County, IN Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Notice period
- 5 days to cut after written notice
- Applies to
- unincorporated residential parcels under 3 acres
- County cleanup
- county cuts and bills the owner
- Unpaid cost
- added to tax duplicate after 10 days
- General penalty
- up to $2,500 per offense, § 10.99
- Enforcing body
- Board of Commissioners / County Auditor
Summary
Unincorporated Bartholomew County landowners must cut and remove weeds or rank vegetation whenever it exceeds the height limit in § 94.03, per § 94.05. If an owner ignores a Board of Commissioners order, § 94.06 lets the county cut the lot itself after five days' notice, and § 94.09 bills the cost to the landowner, adding it to the property tax bill if unpaid within ten days.
All landowners of parcels of real estate in unincorporated residential areas of the county defined above are required to cut and remove from the real estate all weeds or other rank vegetation when the same exceed the limitations provided in § 94.03. ... the Board of Commissioners shall direct the County Auditor to give written notice to the landowner upon whose property the weeds or other rank vegetation are growing, stating that the landowner is required to cut and remove the weeds or other rank vegetation growing on the property within five days from the date of service of the notice. ... the County Auditor shall place the amount claimed on the tax duplicate against the property affected by the work and the amount shall be collected as taxes are collected.
Full Breakdown
05. 06(A) directs the County Auditor to give the landowner written notice requiring the cutting and removal within five days of service. 07, is served by a county law enforcement officer if the owner lives on the property, or by registered mail to the owner's last known address on the tax records if the owner is a nonresident. 08 authorizes the Board of Commissioners to have the county itself cut and remove the vegetation. 09 then requires the County Auditor to certify the county's actual cost, deliver a statement to the landowner by officer or registered mail, and collect payment; if the landowner does not pay within ten days of that statement, the Auditor places the amount on the property's tax duplicate so it is collected as taxes, with proceeds going to the county's General Fund.
04 as two or more adjoining parcels used or intended for residential use where none exceeds three acres, a large unplatted agricultural vacant tract sits outside this specific abatement mechanism even though other nuisance provisions can still apply.
Violations & Fines
Failing to cut and remove weeds after notice under § 94.06 exposes the landowner not just to the county's cleanup bill under § 94.09, added to the tax duplicate if unpaid within ten days, but also to the general penalty in § 10.99, which sets a fine of up to $2,500 per offense and treats each day of a continuing violation as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who enforces weed abatement on a vacant lot in unincorporated Bartholomew County?
What happens if I ignore the county's weed notice?
How long do I have to cut weeds after getting notice?
Does this ordinance cover large vacant farmland too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bartholomew County
Compare Bartholomew County to another location·View the Indiana property maintenance overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.