PROPERTY MAINTENANCE
The safety of you, your family, friends, and the general public is one of the top concerns of the Zoning and Planning Commission, Mayor, and Council. The City of Abbeville has adopted the Code of Ordinances which requires owners of all properties to maintain the property and dwelling in a safe, secure and sanitary condition. Maintaining your property is an investment that in the future years you should profit by not letting yours or your neighbors’ property become an eye sore to the community. To ensure that safe and sanitary conditions are maintained in your community you have the right to report any code violations that you observe.
Listed here are some general guidelines for property maintenance as covered in the Code of Ordinances. This is not a comprehensive list of all ordinances. To view all ordinances, click the button below.
GRASS, WEEDS, AND LEAVES
Grass and/or weeds must not exceed twelve (12) inches in height. If you are given a warning notice you will have ten (10) days to comply with the City ordinance. Any person desiring to place tree trimmings or hedge cuttings or shrubbery of any kind for removal shall request collection by the Vermilion Parish Police Jury. All such material placed on the curb line for collection shall be removed within a reasonable period not to exceed one month. No material in excess of six (6) feet long nor in excess of eighteen (18) inches in diameter shall be placed on the curb line adjacent to the property which generated the refuse.
Leaves, weeds and grass will be considered as trash and shall not be placed on the city streets or public rights-of-way in any manner other than bagged and placed within a regulation container.
To read more ARTICLE IV. – WEEDS, GRASS, ETC.
PREMISES/HOUSE IDENTIFICATION NUMBERS
Every building and/or structure within the city shall display the number of its municipal address upon the front of the structure facing the street which corresponds to its municipal address. The numbers must be not less than four (4) inches high and be clearly visible from the street.
FENCES
Fences must be structurally sound, not leaning, and maintained in good repair. All fences shall be constructed of materials approved by the planning and zoning commission, such as brick, masonry, or a combination thereof, wood, chain link, or vinyl. Chain link fences shall not be permitted in certain situations. Chapter 5, Section 5-10. Fences may be built at a height of five (5) to seven (7) feet without the necessity of a building permit. Any fence over seven (7) feet shall be subject to additional construction requirements. No fence foundation may conflict with public servitudes or public infrastructure. Fences may not block the function and flow of the public stormwater system and shall not block the function and access to utility facilities. Fences must also meet line of site requirements of the code of ordinances.
RUBBISH AND TRASH
In residential areas all rubbish, trash, junk, discarded items, and litter must not be stored on the property. All trash containers shall be maintained in a location on the property in such a manner that is not visible to the public. All permitted household rubbish/garbage for collection must be in closed bags and inside a permitted roadside container. All roadside trash containers shall be placed on the curb line in front of the property in the position and location designated by the Vermilion Parish Police Jury. The container can be set out the evening prior to the assigned pick-up day. No trash container shall be placed on the curb line for collection more than twelve (12) hours prior to the regularly designated collection for that property and shall be removed from the on the curb line within twelve (12) hours after collection. No trash containers shall be placed below or in close proximity to power lines, or other wires that cross the street and/or roadways. It is unlawful for any person to perform scavenging operations or to scavenge, dig in or remove trash from within trash containers placed upon the curb line for collection.
Branches, tree limbs, small tree (six-inch diameter) trunks and small tree (eighteen-inch diameter) roots, household furniture; and old carpets, linoleum and like floor coverings shall be placed on the curb line adjacent to the garbage can, or at any other location designated by the Vermilion Parish Police Jury, but not on a catch basin. None of such items shall be over eighteen (18) inches in diameter, nor over six (6) feet long. Plants and Yard Debris should be separated from other household items and rubbish.
It is unlawful to place tires and large appliance boxes at the roadside. These items must be delivered to the landfill by the owner and require proper ID for acceptance. The parish landfill is located off Hwy 696 at 8500 Birch Road, Abbeville, LA 70510
For more information on proper disposal, permissible and prohibited items, read Chapter 15.5 or call Vermilion Parish Solid Waste at 337-898-4338.
VEHICLES
Vehicles parked on all properties must have a legal registration and be in good working condition. The accumulation and storage of abandoned, inoperative, dismantled, or wrecked vehicles is declared to constitute a public nuisance which may be abated as such.
