Adair County, IA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited act
- Discarding, placing, dumping or disposing of solid waste, garbage or debris
- Where it applies
- Rights-of-way of a County Highway or road
- Fine
- Simple misdemeanor, $500 per violation
- Hazard removal
- By the County, without notice or liability
- Cost recovery
- Assessed against owner or responsible person
- Nuisance basis
- Iowa Code Chapter 657
Summary
Adair County Ordinance No. 8B prohibits discarding, placing, dumping or disposing of solid wastes, garbage or debris within the rights-of-way of a County Highway or road. A violation is a simple misdemeanor with a fine of $500 per violation, and the dumper is deemed to have created a public nuisance that a court can order abated at the dumper's expense.
SECTION 2. DISPOSAL OF WASTES ON RIGHT-OF-WAY Discarding, placing, dumping, or disposing of any solid wastes, garbage, or debris, within the rights-of-way of a County Highway or road is prohibited. SECTION 3. IMMEDIATE REMOVAL Any solid waste, garbage or other debris which constitutes an immediately and dangerous hazard shall, without notice or liability, be removed by the County. The removal costs shall be assessed against the owner of said solid waste, garbage or other debris and/or the person responsible for the illegal discarding, placing, dumping or disposing of said items in the county right-of-way. SECTION 4. FINE Any person found to be in violation of any part of this Ordinance shall be guilty of a simple misdemeanor, subject to a fine of five hundred ($500.00) per violation SECTION 5. PUBLIC NUISANCE Any person who discards, places, dumps or disposes of any solid waste, garbage or other debris in the County right-of-way as prohibited herein shall be deemed to have created a public nuisance punishable as provided in Iowa Code Chapter 657.
Full Breakdown
Ordinance No. 8B states its purpose in Section 1: to place a duty on each resident to properly dispose of solid wastes by legitimate means rather than discarding them in the county rights-of-way. Section 2 is the prohibition itself. Discarding, placing, dumping, or disposing of any solid wastes, garbage, or debris within the rights-of-way of a County Highway or road is prohibited. The ordinance is written for county right-of-way, not for private land or city streets.
Section 3 lets the County act first. Any solid waste, garbage or other debris that constitutes an immediate and dangerous hazard is removed by the County without notice or liability. The removal costs are assessed against the owner of the waste and/or the person responsible for the illegal discarding.
Section 4 sets the fine: a person found in violation of any part of the ordinance is guilty of a simple misdemeanor, subject to a fine of five hundred dollars ($500.00) per violation. Because the fine is per violation, separate dumping events are charged separately.
Section 5 adds a civil layer. Anyone who discards waste in the county right-of-way as prohibited is deemed to have created a public nuisance punishable as provided in Iowa Code Chapter 657. If a person is found guilty, the court can, in addition to any fine or judgment for damages or costs, order the nuisance abated or removed at that person's expense. The abatement or removal costs can be entered as a personal judgment against the person and/or assessed against the property where the obstruction occurred.
The posted copy of Ordinance No. 8B prints the year 2006 for passage and publication but leaves the day and month blank.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Ordinance No. 8B is a simple misdemeanor with a fine of $500 per violation. The dumper also faces a public nuisance finding under Iowa Code Chapter 657, a court order to abate or remove the waste at the dumper's expense, a personal judgment for the costs, and possible assessment of those costs against the property where the obstruction occurred. The County removes immediately hazardous debris without notice and bills the responsible person.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fine for dumping trash on an Adair County road?
Where does the dumping ban apply?
Can the County clean up dumped debris before charging anyone?
Can dumping costs be charged to a landowner's property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Adair County
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