Brockton, MA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Chapter 7, Article III of the Revised Ordinances, "General Precautions Against Fire," addresses accumulated combustible growth on unimproved land. Sec. 7-68(a) prohibits accumulations of wastepaper, hay, grass, straw, weeds, litter, or combustible or flammable waste or rubbish on any roof, court, yard, vacant lot or open space, and requires the owner or occupant to cut down and remove weeds, grass, vines or other growth once it endangers property or is liable to catch fire. Sec. 7-68(b) separately requires occupants of buildings to provide covered metal containers for wastepaper, oily rags and ashes, with owners of buildings housing more than three families responsible for supplying those containers.

Enforcement runs through the fire department's general abatement authority: the head of the fire department, chief inspector, or a delegated member may enter a lot upon a neighbor's complaint under Sec. 7-4(b) and, once a hazardous condition is confirmed, must issue a fire department abatement order specifying a compliance date under Sec. 7-5. Sec. 7-6 requires the order to be served on the owner, occupant, or authorized agent responsible for the condition, and if the owner cannot be identified the occupant is held responsible. The officer must reinspect on the stated date, and if the condition is still not remedied, the bureau of fire prevention may refer the matter to the building department to remove or remedy it under supervision.

Because Sec. 7-68 sets no specific fine, the general penalty in Sec. 1-9 applies: up to $300 for each offense of any Revised Ordinance provision not otherwise specifically penalized.