Unmaintained vacant lots and abandoned or unsafe buildings in unincorporated Polk County are health nuisances. An "abandoned building" is one vacant and in code violation for six months or more.
Health Nuisance Regulation 2-2(b) defines an "Abandoned" building as one that "has remained vacant and has been in violation of the building code of the city or county in which the property is located for a period of six months or more." Section 2-3(g) prohibits owning or allowing an unsafe, dangerous, or abandoned building that menaces public health or safety. An unsecured, unoccupied structure or open well shaft/excavation on a vacant lot is an "attractive nuisance" under 2-5(n).
Nuisance is a misdemeanor (2-11(a)); the county can abate and assess costs against the real estate as a property tax. Owners must secure vacant structures against unauthorized access (2-5(p)).
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
polk-county-ia
Polk County allows backyard composting but regulates it through the Health Nuisance Regulation: a compost pile that harbors vermin, produces offensive odors,...
polk-county-ia
Polk County has no ordinance for or against artificial turf on residential lots. Installation on unincorporated land is generally unrestricted; cities and HO...
polk-county-ia
Polk County has no ordinance banning native or prairie landscaping, and the county promotes native roadside vegetation. The one legal limit: your planting ca...
polk-county-ia
Iowa has no state ban on collecting rainwater, and Polk County sets no rain-barrel ordinance. Residents may capture roof runoff in barrels or cisterns; only ...
polk-county-ia
Polk County sets no lawn-watering schedule. Central Iowa's water is managed by Central Iowa Water Works / Des Moines Water Works, which can impose voluntary ...
polk-county-ia
Iowa Code 317.10 requires every landowner to destroy all noxious weeds on their land as directed by the county board of supervisors. Polk County's Weed Commi...
See how Polk County's vacant lot maintenance rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.