Abondoned truck, covered in weeds

Controlling nuisances keeps communities livable.

The City of Fircrest is committed to protecting the environment and enhancing the quality of life of its community. The enforcement of nuisance, land use and building codes, cleanup of property, and beautification efforts are an important component of maintaining quality neighborhoods and an excellent community environment.

Understanding the Process

When the City receives a report related to a public nuisance or code concern, a windshield inspection of the property occurs.  If a violation is observed, a letter is sent to notify the property owner and request their assistance in correcting the situation.

Our ultimate goal is to find a resolution to the situation and the process of resolving nuisance complaints can take time or may be more complicated that it first appears. Sometimes an illness or an aging resident may be the cause of an unkempt yard. Often we discover wrong addresses or foreclosed upon properties.

If a resolution cannot be achieved, the City then issues a Notice of Violation and may turn the issue over to the City Attorney for prosecution.

Understanding that each of these steps has set procedures and timeframes, patience is always appreciated.

What’s a “public nuisance?”

The City only has the authority to regulate “public” nuisances. In short, those are nuisances that are visible from public places, like streets and sidewalks. The City does not have the authority to go onto private property or regulate issues in backyards.

Report a concern