Grass or weeds that are over ten inches high are classified as a nuisance under City Code. Property owners who allow grass or weeds to grow over ten inches on their property are subject to civil citation.
Accumulations of trash, junk piles, brush piles and improper disposal of trash are prohibited in Ottumwa. These nuisances prevent neighbors from having full enjoyment of their property and keeps potentially recyclable and usable materials from being put back to productive use.
Under City Code, a vehicle stored outside that is unlicensed for the current year, inoperable and unable to move under its own power, or a threat to the public safety, it is considered a Junk Motor Vehicle.
City Code allows Building and Code Enforcement Inspectors to enter private yards to investigate any nuisance or source of filth. Inspectors record and document nuisances they find. The resident will receive a written notice from the Building and Code Enforcement Department with specific information about the nuisance and a date for re-inspection. Except in the most extreme cases, the property owner is always given an opportunity to abate the nuisance themselves, without citations or fines being issued.
If the violation is not resolved by the listed date, a civil citation can be issued. In addition, if the property owner does not resolve the nuisance, the City can then take action to abate the nuisance. The cost of the action will be billed to the owner. Residents are asked to be cooperative with the Building and Code Enforcement Department staff. Attempting to prevent any public employee from performing their duty is a misdemeanor.
The fines for civil citations are:
To report tall grass, junk motor vehicles, trash, or brush piles, call (641) 683-0610.
To contact the Housing and Code Enforcement Inspector Jeremy Lipe call (641) 683-0649.
