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Subjects › Legal › Nuisances › Nuisances - Vegetation
Updated 02/2010

Nuisances - Vegetation

Contents

About Regulating Vegetation 

Regulation of unkempt lots and property containing overgrown weeds, debris, and litter is generally accomplished through enforcement of nuisance ordinances.  Cities and towns have general authority to address vegetation issues through general nuisance statutes and specific statutes.  Counties have specific statutes authorizing weed control districts.  See Authority  to Regulate and Abate Nuisances for a listing of statutes.

General Vegetation Provisions

  • Auburn Municipal Code Ch. 8.20 - Vegetation
  • Kent Municipal Code  Ch. 8.07 - Weeds and Vegetation
  • Kirkland Municipal, Code Ch. 9.12 - Control of Vegetation
  • LaConner Municipal Code Section 7.10.020 (4)  - Nuisance types
  • Longview Municipal Code Ch. 16.30 - Property Maintenance Code
  • Moxee Municipal Code Section  8.05.020 (2)  - Nuisances designated ... The existence of any tree, shrub or overhanging foliage which is apt to impair, interfere with, destroy or restrict:   (a) Travel over any streets, sidewalks or alleys;  (b) Access to any fire hydrants, sprinklers or any other appliance or facility provided for fire protection;   (c) Access to any city utilities such as water meters;  (4.) Poison oak, poison ivy, deadly nightshade, or any noxious or toxic weed or uncultivated plant (whether growing or otherwise), weeds, tall grass, uncultivated shrubs or growth higher than two feet, or grass clippings, cut brush or cut weeds....(Ord. 503 § 3, 1993)
  • SeaTac Municipal Code  Ch. 7.15 - Property Maintenance
  • See also provisions on Weed Control and Noxious Weeds page

Interference with Public Right-of-Way

  • Bellevue City Code  Ch. 14.06 - Trees, Weeds and Vegetation
  • Colville Municipal Code  Ch. 12.16 - Trees
  • Edmonds City Code  Section 9.25.010(B) - Street Obstruction
  • Kent Municipal Code  Section. 7.04.260 - Planting of certain trees and shrubbery prohibited  (public and private sewer obstruction)
  • Sequim Municipal Code  Section  8.04.030(A) (Adobe Acrobat Document)  - Nuisances
  • Walla Walla Municipal Code  Ch. 12.44 - Overhanging Vegetation  

Height Measures

  • Auburn Municipal Code Section 8.20.010 C. Grasses (lawn) within the yards of occupied residential properties which are not maintained at a height of six inches or less are also declared to be a public nuisance....D. Grasses, ground cover, and/or vines on vacant lots that are within or adjacent to developed areas which are not used for agricultural purposes, and are not part of a wetland or other sensitive environmental system, which are not maintained at a height of 12 inches or less are also declared to be a public nuisance...
  • Longview Municipal Code Section 16.30.140 - Amendments to International Property Maintenance Code 302.4 Weeds, grass or vegetation - 12 inches for weeds and grasses subject to applicable zoning requirements.
  • Mountlake Terrace Municipal Code Section 8.15.040  - Nuisances prohibited A. Vegetation. 1. Vegetation exceeding 12 inches in height (exclusive of plants and flowers within a flower bed or container, shrubbery, or trees) located in any front, back, or side yard, adjacent public right-of-way or planting strip, or any vacant property;
  • Moxee Municipal Code Section 8.05.020 (4.) - Growth higher than 2 feet -  Poison oak, poison ivy, deadly nightshade, or any noxious or toxic weed or uncultivated plant (whether growing or otherwise), weeds, tall grass, uncultivated shrubs or growth higher than two feet, or grass clippings, cut brush or cut weeds....(Ord. 503 § 3, 1993)
  • Pasco Municipal Code Section 12.12.080 (Adobe Acrobat Document) -  Nuisances Declared  Right-of-way, public property -  vegetation over 12 inches -  
  • Richland Municipal Code Section 9.16.040(Q) - Grasses and weeds over 12 inches

Trees as Nuisances

See also above Interference with Public Right-of-Way  and Ordinance Provisions Governing Trees

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