Parma, OH Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Codified Ordinances § 660.26(a)
- Offense level
- Misdemeanor of the first degree
- Maximum fine
- $1,000 under § 698.02
- Maximum jail term
- 180 days under § 698.02
- Court remedy
- May order cleanup at violator's expense
- Adopted
- Ordinance 473-47, passed October 20, 1947
Summary
Parma makes it a first-degree misdemeanor to throw, deposit or dump rubbish, garbage, dirt, pesticide, ashes or refuse of any kind onto parks, public grounds, sidewalks, tree lawns or another person's property without consent. Section 660.26(a) also reaches dumping onto sloped land that could wash debris onto a lower neighbor's property.
No person shall throw, deposit or dump, or permit to be thrown or deposited or dumped, any rubbish, garbage, dirt, paper, filth, filthy water, pesticide, sweepings, ashes, shavings, offal, stones, wood, trash, straw, earth or refuse material of any kind, or place signs into or upon any park, public grounds, sidewalk, tree lawn, utility pole, street or highway or upon any property belonging to another person, without the owner's consent.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-30: Local legislation current to August 3, 2026 | State legislation current to June 25, 2025).
Full Breakdown
26(a) prohibits throwing, depositing or dumping, or permitting to be thrown, deposited or dumped, 'any rubbish, garbage, dirt, paper, filth, filthy water, pesticide, sweepings, ashes, shavings, offal, stones, wood, trash, straw, earth or refuse material of any kind,' or placing signs, into or upon any park, public ground, sidewalk, tree lawn, utility pole, street or highway, or onto another person's property without the owner's consent. Subsection (d) separately bars dumping refuse, garbage, leaves or yard waste onto sloped property where it may fall onto lower land and create a nuisance or damage.
The rule dates to Ordinance 473-47, passed October 20, 1947, and was amended by Ordinance 231-01 in 2001. Courts enforcing this section may order a violator to rectify the dumping at their own expense under subsection (g). 28 for dumping into natural waterways, both carrying their own escalating misdemeanor tiers for repeat offenders within Chapter 660's Safety, Sanitation and Health provisions.
Violations & Fines
Illegal dumping under Section 660.26(a) is a first-degree misdemeanor whenever no other penalty applies, punishable under Section 698.02 by up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. A sentencing court may also order the violator to clean up or rectify the dumping at their own expense under subsection (g), on top of any jail term or fine imposed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What materials count as illegal dumping in Parma?
Is dumping yard waste onto a neighbor's lower yard illegal in Parma?
What penalty does an illegal dumping conviction carry?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Parma
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Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cuyahoga County handle illegal dumping.