Garland, TX Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Weed height limit
- Over 12 inches is an offense
- No-notice abatement trigger
- 48 inches and an immediate danger
- Standard notice period
- 7 days to abate an ordinary nuisance
- Lien interest rate
- 10% annually, second only to tax liens
- Maximum fine
- $2,000 under Section 10.05(A)
- Extraterritorial reach
- Applies 5,000 feet beyond city limits
Summary
Texas Health and Safety Code lets Garland force any landowner to keep a lot free of weeds, brush, and public nuisance conditions, and the City enforces that power through Code of Ordinances Chapter 32. Weeds over 12 inches on any lot are an offense unless the growth is an exempt agricultural crop, a historically significant planting, or ornamental flowers and shrubs. Growth above 48 inches that endangers health or safety can be mowed by the City without advance notice.
Sec. 342.004. Municipal Power Concerning Weeds or Certain Public Nuisances. The governing body of a municipality may require the owner of real property in the municipality to keep the property free from weeds, brush, and a condition constituting a public nuisance as defined by Section 343.011(c)(1), (2), or (3)... Sec. 342.008. Additional Authority to Abate Dangerous Weeds. (a) A municipality may abate, without notice, weeds that: (1) have grown higher than 48 inches; and (2) are an immediate danger to the health, life, or safety of any person. (b) Not later than the 10th day after the date the municipality abates weeds under this section, the municipality shall give notice to the property owner in the manner required by Section 342.006. (c) The notice shall contain: (1) an identification, which is not required to be a legal description, of the property; (2) a description of the violations of the ordinance that occurred on the property; (3) a statement that the municipality abated the weeds; and (4) an explanation of the property owner's right to request an administrative hearing about the municipality's abatement of the weeds.
Full Breakdown
011(c)(1), (2), or (3). 52, which makes it an offense to permit weeds, defined as vegetation over 12 inches, on any lot, ground, or yard in the city. The section allows three defenses: an agricultural crop on land holding a Dallas County Central Appraisal District ag exemption and kept 50 to 100 feet from property lines; vegetation of natural, historic, or scientific significance under a City-approved management plan; and decorative flowers, vines, bushes or trees. 84(C)(4). 62 lets the City file a lien with the Dallas County Clerk that is second only to a tax lien, carries 10 percent annual interest, and matures after 60 months, on top of an administrative fee set in the Master Fee and Rate Schedule. 63, except where that distance would fall inside another incorporated city.
Violations & Fines
Weed and nuisance violations fall under Section 10.05(A)'s public health and sanitation category, carrying a fine up to $2,000 per offense, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. Unpaid City abatement costs become a privileged property lien under Section 32.62, drawing 10 percent annual interest until paid or foreclosed. Owners may appeal an abatement determination through the administrative hearing process referenced in Section 32.84(C)(4).
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can weeds get on a Garland lot before it's a violation?
Can the City mow my lot without warning me first?
What happens if I never pay Garland's weed abatement bill?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Garland
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Garland to another location·View the Texas property maintenance overview
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Vacant Lot Maintenance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle vacant lot maintenance.