Burlington, WI Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 200-8, Property maintenance
- Nonresident owner duty
- Appoint resident agent, § 200-8E
- City cleanup notice
- 10 days to correct after warning
- Unpaid bill deadline
- 30 days before tax roll addition
- First-offense forfeiture
- $5 to $500
Summary
Burlington's litter ordinance requires every owner, agent, occupant or lessee to keep private property free of litter, and a nonresident owner of a vacant lot must appoint a resident agent responsible for keeping it litter-free. The Department of Public Works can clean an uncorrected lot and bill the owner.
The owner, agent, occupant or lessee shall keep exterior private property free of litter. This applies to removal not only of loose litter but of materials that already are or become trapped at such locations as fence and wall bases, grassy and planted areas, borders, embankments and other lodging points. ... Each nonresident owner of a vacant lot or other vacant property shall appoint a resident agent who shall have responsibility for keeping that lot or other property free of litter. ... If after due warning, citation or summons an owner, agent, occupant or lessee fails to remove litter from private property, the Department of Public Works shall serve written notice to the owner or his appointed agent that if the condition is not corrected within 10 days the property shall be cleaned by the City and the owner or his appointed agent billed for the cost thereof.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4997580; v29 updated 2026-07-07; through 07-07-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 200-8A requires the owner, agent, occupant or lessee to keep exterior private property free of litter, including material trapped at fence and wall bases, planted areas, borders and embankments, not just loose litter lying in the open. Subsections B and C extend that duty to the municipal sidewalks, the strip between the street and sidewalk, and any bordering alley. Subsection E addresses vacant property specifically: each nonresident owner of a vacant lot or other vacant property must appoint a resident agent who takes on responsibility for keeping that lot free of litter, giving the City a local contact for enforcement when the owner lives elsewhere.
Subsection F sets out the enforcement sequence: after due warning, a citation or a summons, if the owner, agent, occupant or lessee still has not removed the litter, the Department of Public Works serves written notice that the property will be cleaned by the City within 10 days if the condition is not corrected, and the owner or the resident agent will be billed for that cost. If the bill goes unpaid within 30 days, the amount is added to the property's tax roll. Chapter 200 traces back to the 1988 Code and has been amended several times, including a 1996 ordinance revising the container and property-maintenance provisions.
Violations & Fines
Beyond the City cleaning an uncorrected vacant lot and billing the owner or resident agent, with unpaid amounts added to the tax roll after 30 days, a litter violation carries the Code's general penalty under § 200-9 and § 1-4: $5 to $500 for a first offense and $10 to $1,000 for a repeat offense within a year, plus costs, and up to 90 days in jail if unpaid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to maintain a vacant lot I own in Burlington?
I live out of town and own a vacant lot. What does the City require?
What happens if I do not clean up my vacant lot after a warning?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Burlington
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