CODE COMPLIANCE DEPARTMENT

CODE COMPLIANCE:
Contact: Terry Simmons, Code Compliance Officer, 254-629-8321

Working to Keep Eastland Clean, Safe and Beautiful! To Report Code Violations Call 254-629-8321 or click here to report via email.
To See the Entire City of Eastland Code of Ordinances Click Here

Code Compliance is a proactive effort to keep Eastland safe and clean by investigating complaints and inspecting properties within the city to enforce City Ordinances related to nuisances and zoning violations.
The most common violations include tall grass and weeds, trash and rubbish accumulation, junked vehicles, and parking on the grass. To see a list of more common code violations click here.

WHY IS CODE COMPLIANCE IMPORTANT?

Concerned citizens who take good care of their property and notify the city of code violations help:
Maintain neighborhood desirability
Maintain property values
Reduce vandalism
Prevent fire, health, and safety hazards
Encourage continued development
Realize a shared community vision to Keep Eastland Beautiful!

To make a Code Compliance Complaint click here

CITY ORDINANCE CODES - Common Violations

UNLAWFUL PROPERTY NUISANCE

It is unlawful for any person owning, leasing, renting, occupying or having charge or possession of any property in the city to maintain or to allow to be maintained such property in such manner that any of the following conditions are found to exists:
If visible from a public street or right-of-way:

(1)Trash and debris.
(a) Accumulation of litter or debris.
(b) Overflowing trash, garbage or refuse cans or bins, boxes or other such containers stored in the front or side yards.
(c) Packing boxes, lumber, junk, trash, salvage materials or other debris.
(2) Nuisances dangerous to children and visible from a public street or right-of-way including abandoned, broken or neglected equipment, machinery, refrigerators, freezers, hazardous pools, ponds or excavations.
(3) Broken or discarded furniture, household equipment and furnishings or shopping carts stored on the property for unreasonable periods and visible from a public street or right-of-way including alleys.
(4) Overgrown vegetation likely to harbor rats or vermin, dead or hazardous trees, noxious or invasive weeds and plants, or other vegetation constituting unsightly appearance, dangerous to the public safety and welfare or detrimental to neighboring properties or property values and visible from a public street or right-of-way.
(5) Graffiti or other words, letters or drawings which remain on the exterior of any building or fence for an unreasonable period and are visible from a public street or right-of-way; and boats, trailers, vehicle parts or other articles of personal property which are abandoned or left in a state of partial construction or repair for an unreasonable period of time in front yards, side yards, driveways, sidewalks or walkways and are visible from a public street or right-of-way.
(Ord. No. 692, 9-22-04)

DEPOSITING, DUMPING OR BURNING

It shall be unlawful for any person to burn, dump, place, deposit or throw, or otherwise dispose of or permit or cause to be burned, dumped, placed, deposited or thrown, any garbage, trash, brush, broken glass, bottles, loose waste or refuse of any kind on public or private property in the city, unless the same has been deposited in accordance with the garbage collection provisions of this Code. A violation of this section when committed against or upon public property or property owned or occupied by another, shall constitute a trespass on such property. Violations of this section shall include, but are not limited to the following:

(1) Vegetation and trimming. The throwing, placing, dumping or depositing of any tree trimmings, hedge trimmings or any other cuttings or trimmings of weeds, flowers or other vegetation on or in any gutter, street, sidewalk, parkway, driveway, curb, alley or any other public property of the city, or in or on any lot, vacant or occupied, driveway or other private property in the city.
(2) Garbage, refuse, junk and unsightly matter. The throwing, placing, dumping or depositing of any garbage, refuse, junk or unsightly matter of any kind on or in any gutter, street, sidewalk, parkway, driveway, curb, alley or any other public property of the city, or on or in any lot, vacant or occupied, driveway or other private property in the city.
(3) Unsanitary matter. The throwing, placing, dumping or depositing of any animal, vegetable or mineral matter or any composition or residue thereof, which is in an unsanitary condition or injurious to public health on or in any gutter, street, sidewalk, parkway, driveway, curb, alley or any other public property of the city, or on or in any lot, vacant or occupied, driveway or other private property in the city.
(1) (Ord. No. 692, 9-22-04)

WEEDS AND VEGETATION

Growth Restrictions:

(1) It is unlawful for any person owning, claiming, occupying or having supervision or control of any real property within the city limits or within 150 feet thereof to permit weeds, grass, brush or any objectionable or unsightly vegetation to grow or accumulate on any such real property. It shall be the duty of such person to keep the area from the line of his or her property to the street, road, alley or parkway, clean and free of all such weeds, grass, brush or objectionable or unsightly vegetation.
(2) "Objectionable or unsightly vegetation" includes all weeds and grasses which exceed 12 inches in height upon any undeveloped tract or acreage, or exceed six inches in height within any developed areas.
(3) (2) It shall be unlawful for any person or entity owning or having supervision or control of any lot, tract, parcel of land or portion thereof, occupied or unoccupied, improved or unimproved, within the corporate limits of the city to permit grass, weeds or any plant to grow in, upon or across the sidewalk, gutter, street or alleyway adjacent to the lot or property. Cultivated vegetation may be adjacent to the sidewalk when not in violation of other city ordinances. Special concern must be afforded corner lots to prevent violation of other city ordinances regarding view obstruction.
(4) (3) The fact that a person is a present occupant of the premises shall be prima facie evidence that the person has supervision and control of the property. If the premises are unoccupied, the fact that a person is listed by the current tax roll as the owner shall be prima facie evidence that the person is the owner and has supervision and control of the lot.
(Ord. No. 692, 9-22-04)

JUNKED MOTOR VEHICLES

A junked vehicle, including a part of a junked vehicle, that is visible from a public place or public right-of-way:
(1) is detrimental to the safety and welfare of the public;
(2) tends to reduce the value of private property;
(3) invites vandalism;
(4) creates a fire hazard;
(5) is an attractive nuisance creating a hazard to the health and safety of minors;
(6) produces urban blight adverse to the maintenance and continuing development of municipalities;
(7) is a public nuisance.
(Ord. No. 692, 9-22-04)

PARKING IN FRONT OR EXTERIOR SIDE YARDS

No off-street parking shall be permitted in the required front or exterior side yard of any single family or multi family.
(Zoning Ordinance Section 5.1)

UNSANITARY CONDITIONS ON PROPERTY

It shall be unlawful for any person or entity owning or having supervision or control (including a building contractor) of any lot, tract, parcel of land or portion thereof, whether occupied or unoccupied, improved or unimproved, within the corporate limits of the city to permit any of the following unsanitary conditions to exist on, or emanate from, any such lot, tract or parcel of land:
(1) Stagnant water or any collection of water that may allow the breeding of insects, exposed animal carcasses, or any open drain, sewer, or cesspool;
(2) Any waste products, offal, polluting material, spent chemicals, liquors, brines, garbage, rubbish, refuse, sewage, tires, or other waste of any kind that is stored, deposited or disposed of in a manner that may cause the pollution of the surrounding land, the contamination of groundwater or surface water or the breeding of insects or rodents;
(3) Any waste products, offal, polluting material, spent chemicals, liquors, brines, garbage, rubbish, refuse, sewage, tires, or other waste of any kind that is accumulating in, being discharged into or flowing into or on any gutter, street, sidewalk, parkway, driveway, curb, alley or any other public property of the city, or in or on any lot, vacant or occupied, driveway or other private property in the city; or
(4) Any garbage or waste receptacle or container that is in an unsanitary condition.
(Ord. No. 692, 9-22-04)

This section also applies to all commercial dealers for tires, who keep on their property used or discarded tires. For Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) rules and regulations regarding the storage and managing of used and scrap tires, click here. (Zoning Ordinance Section 9.21)