Cicero, IL Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing article
- Ch. 46, Art. XI, Open Lots
- Fine range
- $100.00 to $750.00 per violation
- Cost recovery
- 3x town's abatement costs, on top of fine
- Required fence
- 6-foot noncombustible screen fence
- Fence exception
- Government agencies and side yards exempt
Summary
Cicero requires owners of every open lot to keep it free of garbage, ashes, refuse and any material that can spread disease, become filthy or scatter in the wind, and to enclose the lot with a six-foot noncombustible screen fence maintained free of hazards.
It shall be the duty of the owner or manager of any open lot located within the town to keep such lot free of garbage, ashes, refuse, trash, rubbish, miscellaneous waste or any other substance that may contain disease or germs or that may be scattered by the wind or that may decompose or become filthy, noxious or unhealthy.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 121).
Full Breakdown
Article XI of Chapter 46, Open Lots, governs vacant and unimproved property in the town. Sec. 46-507 places an affirmative maintenance duty on the owner or manager of "any open lot located within the town" to keep it free of garbage, ashes, refuse, trash, rubbish, or any substance that may carry disease, be scattered by wind, or decompose into a nuisance. Sec. 46-508 separately requires the owner of an open lot to enclose it with a noncombustible screen fence at least six feet high, built so that at least half its surface area consists of regularly distributed openings; the exception covers only governmental agencies, units of local government, and side yards.
The owner must keep the fence free of tears, breaks, rust, splinters and dangerous protuberances, and must not let it obstruct drivers' sightlines. A fence that falls out of compliance is declared a public nuisance and is removable under the town's nuisance-abatement procedure in Chapter 38, Article III, after which the owner must replace it with a compliant fence.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 46-506 sets the penalty for any Article XI violation at not less than $100.00 nor more than $750.00 per violation. On top of that fine, a violator is liable to the town for three times the town's costs and expenses in abating any nuisance the violation caused, meaning unpaid weed or debris cleanup on a vacant lot can trigger treble cost recovery in addition to the base fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cicero require vacant lots to be kept free of debris?
Do vacant lots in Cicero need to be fenced?
What is the fine for an unmaintained open lot in Cicero?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cicero
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Vacant Lot Maintenance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle vacant lot maintenance.