Owners of vacant land in Orleans Parish must keep it free of weeds or plant growth over 10 inches tall and free of trash and debris. Neglected lots can be declared public nuisances, cut by the city, and billed, with costs added to the tax bill.
New Orleans requires all premises and exterior property, including vacant land, to be maintained free from weeds or plant growth more than ten inches tall over the entire lot (Sec. 26-160), and exterior property to be kept clean and sanitary, free of accumulated trash, litter, and debris (Sec. 26-157). A vacant lot that is not maintained can be designated a public nuisance under Ch. 28. Owners get a Notice of Violation and typically five days to cut and clean; if they don't, the city performs the work and bills the owner. First cuts often start around $300 and can reach several thousand dollars depending on size and condition.
City cuts and abates after the cure period and bills the owner; unpaid costs are placed as a lien and added to the ad valorem tax bill; lot may be declared a public nuisance under Ch. 28.
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See how Orleans Parish's vacant lot maintenance rules stack up against other locations.
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