Moore, OK Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Section 8-1103, part of Article 8-11A of the Property Maintenance Code, applies to 'all vacant structures and premises thereof or vacant land,' not just occupied properties, so an empty lot is held to the same clean-and-safe standard as an inhabited one. Section 8-1102 places that maintenance duty on 'the owner or occupant of the premises.' When a code enforcement officer with the Community Development Department finds a violation, Section 8-1105 requires a threshold call between a 'minor violation,' a single lapse that does not by itself cause blight, and a 'major violation,' either a combination of two or more minor violations at once or any single condition the officer finds seriously threatens health or safety; only a major violation triggers immediate written notice under Section 8-1122, sent by certified mail to the address on the county treasurer's tax rolls or posted on the property if the owner cannot be found.

Section 8-1123 gives the owner 30 days from that notice to correct the condition, with the community development director authorized to grant additional time after a reinspection, and the owner may request a hearing in writing within ten days to contest the finding. If the deadline passes uncorrected, a citation issues under Section 8-1104, which classifies any violation of the chapter as a punishable offense with each continuing day counted as a separate offense, carrying a fine set under the city's general penalty schedule in Section 1-108. Related exterior-space standards in Section 8-1113 require ground cover to prevent soil erosion and proper drainage away from any structure on the lot.