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

Section 16-2(o) declares a lot or parcel a nuisance whenever it carries debris of any kind, a list the Code spells out as weed cuttings, cut and fallen trees and shrubs, overgrown vegetation and noxious weeds seven inches or taller, rubbish and trash, lumber not piled or stacked at least 12 inches off the ground, rocks or bricks, tin, steel, parts of derelict cars or trucks, broken furniture, and any flammable material that endangers public safety. The subsection applies to any lot, so an empty or unimproved parcel is covered exactly the same way as a lot with a house on it.

A companion provision, § 16-2(l), separately bars litter, garbage, trash, refuse or junk from sitting more than one week on 'any open or vacant private property' in the City. The abatement path is the same one used for every Chapter 16 nuisance. Under § 16-4, the Director of Public Services, the Chief of Police or City police may enter the property to confirm the condition. Section 16-6 then requires at least ten days' written notice to the owner, with a right to request a hearing within five days; if the debris isn't cleared within five days after that, the City can clean the lot itself and bill the owner at least $200, and an unpaid bill becomes a first lien on the property under § 16-6(f).