Florissant, MO Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Section 213.030 defines "public nuisance" broadly enough to cover an unmaintained vacant lot on its own: debris of any kind, weed cuttings, fallen trees and shrubs, overgrown vegetation and noxious weeds eight inches or taller, anything that harbors rodents or insects, litter, junk, rubbish, unstacked lumber and firewood, abandoned or inoperable vehicles and vehicle parts, tires, discarded household fixtures and appliances, hazardous materials, and any personal property stored in view of neighboring land or the public right-of-way that amounts to a "visual blight" or reduces the neighborhood's aesthetic appearance. Subsection B carves out an exception for active construction: building materials for a permitted repair project can sit on the lot as long as the permit is active, but must be removed within fourteen days after the permit expires or is cancelled, or the leftover materials themselves become the nuisance.

Enforcement runs through the Building Commissioner under § 213.040. A nuisance is a misdemeanor prosecutable in Florissant Municipal Court, and the Commissioner can also issue written notice by personal service, certified mail, or posting, giving the owner seven days to abate and the right to request a hearing before the Commissioner. If weeds, grass or overgrown vegetation recur more than once in the same growing season after a prior notice, the Director of Public Works can remove the growth without any further notice. Section 213.050 makes the City's cleanup cost collectible as a special tax bill added to the property's real estate tax bill, and that unpaid bill becomes a personal debt against the owner and a lien on the property until paid. The Code also protects domestic-violence victims and 911 callers from nuisance enforcement or occupancy-permit revocation based on the incidents that brought police to the property.