Owners of vacant lots in unincorporated Charleston County must keep weeds and solid waste under control, and a lot that was once improved may not be allowed to revert to unimproved status.
Sec. 10-2 applies to any occupied or unoccupied lot: on improved residential or commercial lots, the owner may not permit the growth of weeds and rank vegetation, and on improved or unimproved lots anywhere in the unincorporated county the owner may not permit solid-waste accumulation. Critically, the ordinance states a lot that has been improved may not be allowed to revert to unimproved status, so leaving a developed vacant parcel to overgrow violates the code. Sec. 10-3 places a continuing duty on the owner to cut vegetation and remove waste as often as necessary. Enforcement, notice, and county abatement follow Sec. 10-5 through 10-7.
After ten days' notice, non-compliance is a misdemeanor (up to $500 / 30 days) and the county may enter, abate the nuisance, and place a lien for the cost.
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