Parma, OH Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Codified Ordinances § 660.23
- Trigger
- City serves or publishes formal notice
- Required actions
- Fill/drain lot, remove putrid substances
- Related authority
- Ohio R.C. 715.47, culvert obstructions
- Offense level
- Minor misdemeanor
- Maximum fine
- $150 under § 698.02
Summary
Parma can order the owner of any vacant or unimproved lot to fill or drain it and remove putrid substances, or to clear obstructions from culverts and drains, once the city serves or publishes formal notice. Section 660.23 gives owners a set compliance window before the failure to act itself becomes a separate offense.
No person shall fail to comply with the following requirements within the lawful time after service or publication of the notice or resolution is made as required by law: (1) To fill or drain any lot or land or remove all putrid substances therefrom; or (2) To remove all obstructions from culverts, covered drains or natural watercourses as provided in Ohio R.C. 715.47.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-30: Local legislation current to August 3, 2026 | State legislation current to June 25, 2025).
Full Breakdown
C. 47. The section operates as a notice-and-cure mechanism rather than a blanket prohibition: the city must first identify a problem lot, typically standing water, decaying matter, or a blocked drainage path, and issue notice before an owner can be in violation. 04 covering junk and rubbish likely to breed vermin. Together these sections let Public Service and code enforcement address a vacant lot from three angles: unmaintained vegetation, general nuisance debris, and standing water or putrid drainage conditions that require a formal fill-or-drain order.
Violations & Fines
Failing to comply with a fill, drain or putrid-substance removal notice under Section 660.23 is a minor misdemeanor, carrying up to a $150 fine under Section 698.02 and no jail exposure. The city may still pursue the underlying nuisance through separate cost-recovery authority if the condition is not corrected after notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Parma automatically cite a vacant lot with standing water?
Who has to clear a blocked drain crossing a vacant lot in Parma?
How does the vacant lot rule differ from Parma's grass height law?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Parma
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Vacant Lot Maintenance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cuyahoga County handle vacant lot maintenance.