Sumter County, FL Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Nuisance Abatement Ordinance, §§ 6-101 to 6-112
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Sumter County only (§ 6-112)
- Notice method
- Certified mail plus posting on property (§ 6-105)
- Appeal window
- 20 days to Board of County Commissioners (§ 6-106)
- Lien interest
- 8% year one, 6% thereafter (§ 6-109)
- Criminal exposure
- Misdemeanor under F.S. § 775.08 (§ 6-110)
Summary
Unincorporated Sumter County treats rubbish, trash, or garbage left to accumulate on any lot, including vacant land, as a prima facie nuisance under Code § 6-104(2), and the administrative officer must give the owner written notice and a deadline to clean it up under § 6-105 before the county can act.
The following conditions, existing, permitted, maintained, or caused by any individual, organization or corporation on real property in Sumter County shall constitute prima facie evidence of maintaining a nuisance, injurious to health, which such conditions shall not be deemed to be all inclusive: ... (2)The accumulation of rubbish, trash, garbage, or other solid waste materials in violation of any existing state law, regulation or ordinance of Sumter County. ... Upon determining the existence of conditions herein declared to be nuisance, and upon determining that those conditions warrant abatement or removal, the administrative officer shall cause written notice of the necessity for a contemplated action of abatement or removal to be given to the owner, agent, or other person committing, creating, keeping, or maintaining such conditions.
Full Breakdown
Sumter County's Nuisance Abatement Ordinance, adopted by Ord. No. 95-7 in 1995 and codified at Code §§ 6-101 through 6-112, applies only in the unincorporated area under § 6-112 and reaches any real property in the county, including undeveloped and vacant parcels, not just occupied homes. Section 6-104 lists conditions that are prima facie evidence of a nuisance; subsection (2) singles out the accumulation of rubbish, trash, garbage, or other solid waste materials left on a lot in violation of any state law, regulation, or county ordinance.
When the county's administrative officer finds such conditions, § 6-105 requires written notice by certified mail, plus posting on the property, telling the owner or person in control what must be abated and by when, and giving the owner a chance to show the condition doesn't exist or has already been fixed. If the owner does nothing, § 6-107 lets the county perform the cleanup itself and certify the actual cost to the Board of County Commissioners as a special assessment lien on the property; § 6-108 requires the county to record and publish notice of that lien within 60 days of completing the work, and gives the owner 30 days to petition the board if the charged cost looks wrong.
Unpaid liens carry interest at 8 percent the first year and 6 percent after that, under § 6-109. The owner may appeal any abatement notice to the Board of County Commissioners within 20 days under § 6-106, whose decision is the final administrative review.
Violations & Fines
Maintaining a nuisance under Article V is a criminal misdemeanor within the meaning of F.S. § 775.08, punishable as provided by law, per Code § 6-110. Beyond criminal exposure, the county can perform the cleanup itself and record a special assessment lien against the property for the full abatement cost plus administrative and legal expenses, superior to every lien except tax liens, under §§ 6-107 through 6-109.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sumter County require me to keep a vacant lot free of trash?
What happens if I ignore the notice to clean up my lot?
Can I appeal a nuisance notice on my vacant lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sumter County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Sumter County to another location·View the Florida property maintenance overview
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