Schaumburg, IL Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Litter-on-vacant-lot ban
- § 94.06
- Notice method
- Certified mail to owner
- Non-compliance remedy
- Village removes litter, files lien
- Lien priority
- Ahead of all liens but taxes
- Origin ordinance
- Ord. 164, passed 12-5-1961
Summary
Schaumburg bans dumping or throwing litter on any open or vacant private lot under Village Code § 94.06, whether or not anyone lives there. If an owner ignores the village's certified-mail notice to clean it up, § 94.09 lets crews remove the litter and place the cost as a lien on the property, ahead of every claim but unpaid taxes.
No person shall throw or deposit litter on any open or vacant private property within the village. ... (A)The village manager or their designees, are hereby authorized and empowered to notify the owner of any open or vacant private property within the village or the agent of such owner to properly dispose of litter located on such owners property which is a public nuisance. Such notice shall be by certified mail, addressed to said owner at their last known address.(B)In all cases where the owner or occupant of any occupied or vacant property shall neglect or refuse to abate the nuisance as previously defined by removal of such litter, the village may cause such litter to be collected and removed from the property. The reasonable cost of such removal may be collected by the village from the owner or occupant of such property. This cost is a lien upon the real estate affected, superior to all other liens, except tax liens.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56 Update 1 | Policy Manual: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
06 makes it unlawful for anyone to throw or deposit litter on open or vacant private property, closing a gap that might otherwise let debris pile up on land with no resident to complain. 09. The village manager or a designee can send the property owner, or the owner's agent, written notice by certified mail describing the litter as a public nuisance and demanding it be cleaned up. If the owner or occupant, whether the property is vacant or actively occupied, neglects or refuses to remove the litter after that notice, the village may send its own crew to collect and remove it.
The reasonable cost of that removal is then charged back to the owner, and it becomes a lien on the real estate, ranking ahead of every other lien except an unpaid tax lien. 10 separately bars publishers from delivering advertising to any premises that is visibly vacant or uninhabited, reinforcing the same no-debris standard for empty properties. These litter rules trace to Ordinance 164 from 1961 and were last updated by Ordinance 22-072 in 2022.
Violations & Fines
Throwing or depositing litter on any open or vacant lot in Schaumburg violates § 94.06 and is punishable under the general penalty schedule in § 10.99. If the owner ignores the village's certified-mail cleanup notice under § 94.09, the village can remove the litter itself and record the cost as a lien on the property, ranking ahead of every lien except unpaid taxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to dump trash on an empty lot in Schaumburg even if no one lives there?
What happens if litter piles up on a vacant lot I own in Schaumburg?
Does Schaumburg's litter ordinance apply differently to vacant versus occupied property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Schaumburg
Compare Schaumburg to another location·View the Illinois property maintenance overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Vacant Lot Maintenance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cook County handle vacant lot maintenance.