Unincorporated Polk County caps grass and weeds at 18 inches on lots next to homes or businesses. When an owner ignores notice, the county mows vegetation over 12 inches down to 3 inches and bills the owner for the abatement.
Under Polk County Property Maintenance Ordinance 08-047, grass or weeds on lots two acres or less that are adjacent to a residential or commercial parcel may not exceed 18 inches on more than 10 percent of the property. When Code Enforcement abates a violation, the county's vendor mows all vegetation in excess of 12 inches to a height no more than 3 inches, and all vegetation and grass must be cut to 3 inches. Incorporated cities (Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, Haines City) enforce their own grass-height codes; several city codes presume growth over 12 inches to be a nuisance.
Code Enforcement notice, then county abatement mowing billed to the owner; unpaid abatement costs become a lien collected on the property tax bill.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Polk County, FL
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See how Polk County's weeds & overgrown grass rules stack up against other locations.
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