Otero County, NM Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)

Section 190-7.E declares it unlawful for any person to allow specific hazardous accumulations and conditions on premises they own, rent or occupy, and Subsection E(3) targets "piles of rubbish, refuse, household trash, tires, debris, grass, weeds, tree limbs, or any other type of material(s)" that are or may be susceptible to infestation by rodents, reptiles, insects or noxious weeds, or by any other animal or plant injurious to people, animals or the environment, unless the material sits within a licensed sanitary landfill or a facility regulated by the New Mexico Environment Department.

The same subsection of § 190-7.E also separately bars keeping three or more inoperable vehicles on a property unless they are shown to be under active repair or screened by a seven-foot solid fence, and bars keeping unsecured appliances large enough to trap a person, showing the county treats weed and debris buildup as part of the same hazardous-conditions framework as junk vehicles and entrapment hazards on vacant or occupied lots alike. Separately, § 190-7.B makes any unauthorized accumulation of solid waste, rubbish or refuse on a property a declared nuisance outright, without requiring proof of pest susceptibility.

Enforcement runs through § 190-4's notice process: the Sheriff or county code enforcement officer must give the person in charge of the premises written notice to correct the condition within 10 to 30 days before the county can order the cleanup and place a lien on the property for its cost under § 190-4.D(2) and (3).