Dougherty County, GA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Sec. 2-14-74(a) defines "abandoned property" as any lot, unit, or parcel of improved real estate that is unoccupied, evidenced by lack of utility service, county observation or unanswered written contact, and "vacant property" as any lot, unit, or parcel of land that is unimproved, excluding working farms. Because those properties usually have no occupant to warn in person, subsection (e) gives code enforcement a distinct notice-and-abatement path instead of the standard citation route: when a violation sits on an abandoned or vacant property, or when the county cannot serve the owner, the owner instead gets a posted-and-mailed abatement notice with 14 days to remove the weeds or excess growth.

The notice must describe the violation, warn that the county will abate the nuisance and bill the owner if the deadline passes, and explain that unpaid costs become a lien after 30 days. An owner has 14 days from the notice to file a written appeal with the county administrator, which stays enforcement until the administrator rules, in writing, within seven days. If nothing is remedied and no appeal is filed, the director of code enforcement may send the county onto the property to cut and remove the vegetation, then bill the owner for the work plus administrative costs and attorney's fees; a lien attaches and is recorded with the clerk of superior court if payment is not made within 30 days of the invoice.