Exterior Property Maintenance back  
Date of Record: January 15, 2009

This page is intended to be a summary of the Village's property maintence regulations.  A complete version of all regulations, including definitions, descriptions, or exceptions to the regulations may be found in the Municipal Code.  The following is a listing of the most common property maintenance violations and the regulations to bring the violation to code:
 

Driveways & Walkways

Animal Litter

Accessory Structures

Sidewalks

House Numbers

Exterior of Buildings

Motor & Recreational Vehicles

Trees

Windows & Screens

Accumulated Debris

Other Possible Violations
 
Tall Grass & Weeds
Your lawn must be maintained to less than eight (8) inches in height.  Additionally, compost piles must:
  • have no obnoxious odors
  • be less than four (4) feet in height and diameter
  • be located only in rear or side yards
  • be set back at least five (5) feet from any lot line and should not be placed in an easement
Accessory Structures
Accessory structures must be structurally sound and in good repair, the proper size, and placed in a proper location.  Examples of an accessory structure include:
  • Detached Garages
  • Sheds
  • Fences
  • Decks/Patios
  • Pools
  • Piers/Boathouses
  • Mailboxes
Exterior of Buildings
The exterior of buildings must be maintained in good repair without holes, loose or rotting materials, peeling paint, or graffiti.  This includes:
  • Foundations
  • Walls
  • Soffits/Fascia
  • Roofs
  • Gutters and Downspouts
Windows & Screens
Windows and screens must be in good repair, which includes being weather tight, water tight, and rodent proof.  Additionally they should be able to easily be opened, unless specifically designed to be fixed, as well as be held in position by hardware.
 
Driveways & Walkways
Driveways and walkways on private properties must be maintained and in a good state of repair.  Cement and asphalt shall be free of loose or broken material.  If you have a gravel driveway is shall be maintained in forms designed to prevent the spread of gravel to public ways, easements, and adjoining private properties.
 
Sidewalks
  • No person shall block the clear passage of public sidewalks.
  • Vehicles may not be parked over any public sidewalk.
  • Property owners are responsible for the removal of snow on all sidewalks abutting their property within 24 hours after any snowfall has ceased.
Motor & Recreational Vehicles
  • Inoperable vehicles (including unlicensed vehicles) may not be stored on private property in excess of 30 days unless such motor vehicle is completely enclosed within a building. 
  • All vehicles, including recreational and trailers, shall be parked on an improved surface of either asphalt or concrete and shall be accessible without maneuvering over any unpaved surface to retrieve. 
  • A maximum of two recreational vehicles are allowed to be parked visible to the public. 
  • No part of any motor or recreational vehicle, when parked, shall encroach over a public sidewalk.
  • In no case shall a recreational vehicle or equipment be parked on public property.
Accumulated Debris
No owner of real estate shall accumulate or permit the accumulation of:
  • Rubbish
  • Boxes
  • Lumber
  • Scrap Metal
  • Any other material that may provide a rodent harborage, fire hazard, or constitute a blighting influence on the premises or neighborhood.

Neccessary building materials pursuant to a valid building permit are allowed.

Animal Litter
  • No person shall allow a domesticated animal to deposit any litter upon any public way or upon any private property not owned by that person unelss that person has the permission of the owner of the property or immediately removes the excrement from the property.
House Numbers
  • House numbers must be displayed on the exterior of all buildings within the Village. 
  • The house numbers must be at least four (4) inches in height and visible from the street.
Trees
  • No dead trees shall remain on real estate within the Village for more than three (3) months
  • No tree shall be planted closer than ten (10) feet to any fire hydrant, unless location is approved by the Public Works Director
  • Tree Removal Permits are requied for the removal of any tree having a trunk diameter of ten (10) inches or larger
Other Possible Violations
Other possible violations may include:
  • Illegal signs such as off-site advertising are prohibited
  • Illegal home occupations
  • Failure to obtain a required building permit
  • Failure to exterminate

To report a property maintenance violation, please visit the Service Request & Feedback portion of the website.  For further infomation regarding the Village's regulations for property maintenance and building permits, please contact the Community Development Department at 847-658-4184.