Glen Cove, NY Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Max weed/grass height, lot
- 12 inches average
- Max height, street strip
- 4 inches average
- Notice-to-cure period
- 5 days after service
- Cost recovery
- Actual cost plus 50% surcharge lien
- First-offense fine
- $1,000 to $2,000
- Enforcing office
- Director of Public Works
Summary
Glen Cove bans weeds, grass or rank vegetation over 12 inches average height on any occupied or unoccupied lot under City Code section 235-7. The adjacent street strip must stay under 4 inches, and trash, debris and dead vegetation are prohibited on vacant land year-round.
Trash, grass and weeds. It shall be unlawful for any owner, lessee or occupant, or any person having control of any occupied or unoccupied lot or land, or any part thereof within the City, to permit or maintain on any such land or lot ... any growth of weeds, grass or other rank vegetation to a greater height than 12 inches on the average, or any accumulation of dead weeds, grass or brush; or to permit or maintain on or along the sidewalk, street, alley or public road adjacent to such a lot or land between the property line and the curb, or between the property line and the traveled portions of such street or alley where there is no curb, any growth of weeds, grass or other vegetation to a greater height than four inches on the average.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5003439; v76 updated 2026-08-26; through 08-26-2026).
Full Breakdown
City Code section 235-7, Accumulations of refuse; vegetation, is Glen Cove's operative rule for unimproved and vacant parcels. Subsection A makes it unlawful for any owner, lessee, occupant or person having control of any occupied or unoccupied lot or land to permit or maintain papers, boxes, debris, rubbish, garbage, ashes, sweepings, cans or similar refuse, or to permit weeds, grass or other rank vegetation to grow higher than 12 inches on average, or to let dead weeds, grass or brush accumulate. The strip between the property line and the curb, or between the property line and the traveled road where there is no curb, is held to a stricter four-inch average height limit.
Subsection B separately bans noxious growth such as poison ivy or ragweed that extends onto or overhangs a public place. Subsection C exempts cultivated lands or lots that are regularly harvested for crops from the cutting requirements. Enforcement runs through the Director of Public Works: section 235-11 requires written notice to the owner, lessee or occupant, and if the violation is not corrected within five days of service, the Director may remedy the condition directly and certify the actual cost plus a 50% supervision surcharge as a lien added to the property's tax assessment.
Violations & Fines
Section 235-13, added 1997 and amended through 2014, makes a violation of this article punishable by a fine of $1,000 to $2,000 for a first conviction, $2,000 to $3,500 for a second conviction within five years, and $3,500 to $5,000 for a third conviction within five years, with imprisonment up to 15 days available at each tier. Each week a violation continues is a separate offense, and the Director of Public Works can also force the cleanup and lien the cost plus 50% onto the property's taxes under section 235-11.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can weeds get on a vacant lot in Glen Cove before it's a violation?
Who enforces overgrown vacant lots in Glen Cove?
Is farmland exempt from the weed height limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Glen Cove
New York rules heatmap·Compare Glen Cove to another location·View the New York property maintenance overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.