Murfreesboro, TN Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited act
- litter on open or vacant land
- Applies to
- owners and non-owners alike
- Enforcement
- Codes Enforcement Officer notice, § 14-121
- Governing section
- Murfreesboro City Code § 14-119
Summary
Dumping or depositing litter on any open or vacant lot in Murfreesboro is banned outright: the prohibition applies even to the property's own owner, and the City can order cleanup under its litter enforcement process.
No person shall throw or deposit litter on any open or vacant private property within the City whether owned by such person or not.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 18 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Code § 14-119 flatly bars throwing or depositing litter on open or vacant private property, and the ban applies whether or not the person doing the dumping owns the lot. Enforcement runs through § 14-121: the Codes Enforcement Officer can notify the owner or the owner's agent to clear litter that endangers public health, safety, or welfare, following the same notice-and-hearing steps set out for the weed-cutting process in §§ 14-55 through 14-57, including a City-ordered cleanup billed back to the owner if the litter isn't removed.
Violations & Fines
Violating § 14-119 is punishable under the anti-litter article's general penalty, Code § 14-122, tied to Code § 1-8; unresolved litter can trigger a City cleanup billed to the owner under the § 14-55–14-57 process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be cited for litter on my own vacant lot?
What happens if litter isn't removed after notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Murfreesboro
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