Vacant or abandoned buildings and accumulated debris on lots visible from a public right-of-way fall under Yellowstone County's Community Decay Ordinance. Owners of any land, occupied or not, also carry a mandatory duty to control noxious weeds under Montana law.
The Community Decay Ordinance expressly lists vacant or abandoned buildings among the nuisance conditions it addresses when visible from a public right-of-way, alongside junk vehicles and accumulated salvaged materials and debris. Separately, Montana's County Noxious Weed Management Act makes weed control mandatory on all land regardless of occupancy, so an empty lot is not exempt from weed abatement. Enforcement is complaint-driven with a minimum 30-day compliance window before abatement. Within Billings and other incorporated cities, the municipal nuisance and weed codes govern instead of the county ordinance.
County issues notice; minimum 30 days to comply before abatement and cost recovery. Uncontrolled noxious weeds may be abated by the county weed district with costs assessed to the owner.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Billings, MT
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