Noblesville, IN Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

§ 93.05(A) of the Noblesville Code of Ordinances applies to 'any owner of real estate located within the city,' which reaches vacant and unimproved lots as well as occupied property, requiring the owner or resident tenant to cut high weeds and grass and remove debris and rubbish, including the strip between the street and sidewalk. Recognizing that natural or unimproved land does not always fit that standard, the same subsection lets the Planning Director exempt 'parcels/land located within a floodplain, wetlands, woods, or undeveloped areas' from the cutting requirement, but only upon a landowner's request, not automatically.

In deciding whether to grant the exemption, the Planning Director must weigh factors named in the code: the impact on surrounding property owners' use of their land, the ecological impact on wildlife habitat, water quality, air quality, flood control and erosion control, whether the exemption preserves green space and natural undeveloped land, and the general health, safety, and welfare of city residents. A lot that is exempted from § 93.05 is also excused from the six-inch height standard in subsection (B). Where no exemption is granted and the owner does not act within five days of a notice of non-compliance under § 93.07, § 93.05(E) authorizes the city or its contractor to enter the vacant lot, cut the vegetation and clear the debris, and charge the cost to the property owner.