Montgomery, AL Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Section 12-37 declares it unlawful and a nuisance for an owner, occupant, lessee or person in control of property within the city to let unattended donation or collection boxes (UDCBs) remain on the property, or to allow litter, trash, junk, or construction-related mud to accumulate. The provision, adopted by Ordinance No. 34-2009 and amended in 2021, is written broadly enough to reach more than a homeowner's yard: it lists sidewalks, city right-of-way strips, alleys, parking lots, driveways, grounds, fences, walls, property lines, privately owned storm drains, and vacant lots within the city as covered property.

A vacant, unimproved parcel is treated identically to an occupied lot for purposes of the litter and junk ban. 00 administrative processing fee attaches once the owner fails to act within ten days of notice, and the city can pursue the abatement cost through court action against the property owner instead of only assessing it against the parcel. A third violation of the article on the same lot within a 24-month period moves the matter from abatement into prosecution under Section 12-34, and UDCBs left on a property can be removed entirely after a third violation.