Mount Vernon, NY Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 105-b
- Notice period before abatement
- 48 hours
- First-offense fine
- $750
- Second-offense fine
- $1,500
- Third+ offense fine
- $3,000 each
- Enforcing office
- Commissioner of Public Works
- Unpaid cleanup cost
- Becomes a lien on the lot
Summary
Mount Vernon's Commissioner of Public Works can enter any property, public or private, to remove accumulated rubbish, fill stagnant depressions and abate ragweed or other noxious weed growth. Owners who ignore a 48-hour written notice face escalating fines and a lien for the city's cleanup costs.
The Commissioner of Public Works shall have the power to enter upon property, both public and private, and to remove accumulations of rubbish and deleterious matter therefrom, to fill in depressions where water is likely to gather and stagnate, and to abate any other conditions creating or tending to create a condition detrimental to the health, safety and general welfare of the immediate neighborhood or the public at large... the Commissioner of Public Works shall impose a fine/penalty of $750 for a first offense; $1,500 for a second offense; and $3,000 for each subsequent offense... The foregoing provisions of this section shall include, but not be limited to, conditions where there shall be growing on any property any ragweed or other species of weed, plant or growth which is noxious or detrimental to the public health.
Full Breakdown
" The section explicitly reaches vacant and unimproved land: it covers "conditions where there shall be growing on any property any ragweed or other species of weed, plant or growth which is noxious or detrimental to the public health, or the seed, pollen or other emanation whereof" is likewise noxious when dispersed. Enforcement starts with written notice served personally, by mail to the owner's last known residence, or, if the owner cannot be found after due diligence, by posting on the premises. The owner has 48 hours to abate, remove or fill in the condition.
If the owner fails to act, the Commissioner may impose the statutory fine and/or have the work done directly by the Department of Public Works or by a hired contractor subject to public bidding rules. Where the city performs or contracts the abatement, the owner is billed for the value of the work or the contractor's actual charge, presented personally, by certified mail, or by posting if the owner cannot be located. Unpaid bills become a lien on the lot, certified by the Commissioner to the City Council and docketed by the Comptroller against the property's tax roll, collected the same way as a public-improvement assessment.
Violations & Fines
First offense carries a $750 fine; a second offense $1,500; a third or any later offense $3,000, imposed under § 105-b in addition to (or instead of) the city performing the abatement itself. Costs the city incurs to clear rubbish, fill depressions or cut noxious weeds become a certified lien against the lot if unpaid within 10 days of billing, collected the same way as a public-improvement tax assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the City of Mount Vernon clear weeds on my vacant lot without asking?
What happens if I don't clear ragweed or rubbish after notice?
How does the city collect if I don't pay the cleanup bill?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mount Vernon
New York rules heatmap·Compare Mount Vernon to another location·View the New York property maintenance overview
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Vacant Lot Maintenance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Westchester County handle vacant lot maintenance.