Shoreline, WA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Declared nuisance
- SMC § 20.30.740(A)(6), 'Nuisance vegetation'
- Definition section
- SMC § 20.20.036, N definitions
- Initial civil penalty
- $500 per notice and order
- Penalty escalation
- 150% after 14 days, doubles each period after
- Appeal window
- 14 days to the Hearing Examiner
- Misdemeanor alternative
- Up to $1,000 fine and 90 days jail
- Enforcing agency
- Planning and Community Development Director
Summary
In the City of Shoreline, dead, overgrown or obstructive vegetation on a vacant or unimproved lot is declared a public nuisance under Shoreline Municipal Code § 20.30.740(A)(6). Section 20.20.036 defines 'Nuisance Vegetation' as growth that blocks sidewalk or street visibility or has died and become a fire hazard or pest harborage, triggering code enforcement by the Planning and Community Development Director.
Nuisance Vegetation Includes the following: A. Any trees, plants, shrubs, vegetation or parts thereof, which overhang any sidewalk or street or which are situated on the property or on the portion of the street or sidewalk abutting thereon, in such a manner as to obstruct or impair the free and full use of the sidewalk or street, including the interruption or interference with the clear vision of pedestrians or person operating vehicles thereon, or interfering with sidewalks, streets, poles, wires, pipes, fixtures or any other part of any public utility situated in the street. B. Shrubs, brush, vines, trees or other vegetation growing or which has grown and died, and organic debris, which constitutes a fire hazard, or provides a harborage for rats, rodents or horticultural pests.
Full Breakdown
Shoreline Municipal Code § 20.20.036 defines 'Nuisance Vegetation' in two ways: growth that overhangs or obstructs a sidewalk or street, interferes with the clear vision of pedestrians or drivers, or fouls poles, wires, pipes and other utility fixtures in the right-of-way; and vegetation, brush or organic debris that has grown and died and now constitutes a fire hazard or shelters rats, rodents or horticultural pests. Under § 20.30.740(A)(6), 'Nuisance vegetation' is one of nine categories of code violation the City declares a public nuisance, alongside accumulated refuse, illegal dumping and right-of-way violations.
On a vacant or unimproved lot, a Planning and Community Development inspector who finds vegetation meeting this definition can open a code enforcement case under Chapter 20.30 SMC, Subchapter 9. Enforcement proceeds through a notice and order issued to the responsible party (owner, lessor, tenant or other person entitled to control the property) under § 20.30.760. The notice must describe the violation and required corrective action, with a right to appeal to the Hearing Examiner within 14 days under §§ 20.30.220 and 20.30.790. If unappealed and the vegetation is not cleared by the compliance date, § 20.30.770(D)(1) imposes a civil penalty of $500.00 for the first 14-day period, rising to 150 percent of that amount for the next 14 days and doubling for every 14-day period after that.
The City may also abate the nuisance itself and assess the removal cost, plus any unpaid penalty, as a lien against the property collected through the King County Treasury under § 20.30.775. As an alternative remedy, § 20.30.770(B) makes a willful or knowing code violation a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and up to 90 days in jail, with each week of continued violation charged as a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Failure to correct nuisance vegetation after a notice and order exposes the responsible party to an initial $500 civil penalty under § 20.30.770(D)(1), which grows to 150 percent after 14 days and doubles every 14 days after that while the violation continues. The City may abate the site directly and bill removal costs, plus accrued penalties, as a lien against the property under § 20.30.775. A willful violation can instead be charged as a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail under § 20.30.770(B).
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes vegetation on a vacant lot a code violation in Shoreline?
Who enforces vacant lot vegetation violations in Shoreline?
What penalty applies if I don't clear the nuisance vegetation?
Can I appeal a nuisance vegetation notice and order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shoreline
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