Showing ordinances that apply to Harrisville, RI
Harrisville is an unincorporated community (population 1,745) in Providence County, Rhode Island. Because Harrisville is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Providence County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The vacant lot maintenance rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Providence County cities require vacant lot owners to mow overgrown vegetation (typically over 10 inches), remove trash, secure the site against trespass, and register vacant properties annually. Non-compliance triggers municipal mowing and cleanup with costs becoming a lien under RIGL §45-24.3-17.
Rhode Island municipalities regulate vacant and overgrown lots through local ordinances authorized by RIGL §45-24.3 (Housing Maintenance and Occupancy Code) and RIGL §45-6-1 (general ordinance-making power). Providence Code §17-189 establishes a mandatory vacant building registry with annual fees ($200-$5,000 scaled by vacancy duration) and requires maintenance of vacant lots including weekly trash removal, grass/weed cutting when height exceeds 10 inches, and securing of openings. Cranston Code Ch. 10.16.030 prohibits vegetation exceeding 8 inches on vacant lots and authorizes municipal mowing at owner expense. Pawtucket Code Ch. 220 imposes similar requirements. Woonsocket's Chronic Nuisance Property ordinance targets repeatedly-cited vacant lots. Lots must not harbor vermin, accumulated debris, or standing water (mosquito breeding), and abandoned vehicles must be removed under RIGL §31-41.1. Owners receive written notice with a short compliance period (often 7-14 days). If ignored, the city abates the condition (mowing typically $200-$500 per occurrence, trash removal billed at actual cost) and the charges become a statutory lien on the property per RIGL §45-24.3-17.
Written notice with 7-14 day compliance deadline. Municipal mowing/cleanup at owner expense ($200-$500+ per occurrence plus administrative fees). Unpaid abatement costs become statutory liens under RIGL §45-24.3-17. Providence vacant building registry fines $500-$2,000 for failure to register. Repeat offenders may face Chronic Nuisance designation in Woonsocket and Providence.
See how Harrisville's vacant lot maintenance rules stack up against other locations.
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