Owners of vacant lots in Kanawha County must keep them clear of overgrowth, trash and dumped debris. Cities enforce this through property-maintenance codes; the county commission uses nuisance and dilapidated-structure authority. Illegal dumping on empty parcels is a recurring rural problem.
Empty parcels sit squarely within local nuisance reach. Inside Charleston and the other cities, code enforcement requires vacant lots mowed, cleared of trash, and secured, and can mow or clean a neglected lot and bill the owner. In the unincorporated county, overgrown or debris-filled lots can be abated as a nuisance, and unsafe abandoned structures fall under WV Code §7-1-3ff. Kanawha's rural hollows make vacant land a magnet for illegal dumping, which is separately unlawful under WV Code §22-15-10. Owners typically get written notice and a deadline before the city or county clears the lot and charges the cost against the property.
A vacant lot left overgrown, littered or dumped-on can be abated after notice — mowed or cleared by the city or county — with the cost charged to the parcel, plus fines and possible dumping penalties.
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See how Charleston's vacant lot maintenance rules stack up against other locations.
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