CODE ENFORCEMENT: Tips for avoiding Nuisance Grass and Weed Violations

Tall Weeds and Grass
 

What to know?

Livingston's City code applies to all grass, weeds, bushes and trees on private property that are allowed to overgrow onto any public right-of-way, including planting strips, streets, sidewalks, and alleys.  Tall weeds and grass not only contribute to blighted conditions in neighborhoods, but they can also harbor rodents, snakes, garbage and other pests and block visibility for drivers. These properties create a public nuisance and a safety hazard as overgrown dried out vegetation can also make grass fires more dangerous for firefighters and families.

Rules to follow

City codes require that you follow:

  • Trim or remove vegetation that overhangs streets, alleys or sidewalks.  Allow an 8-foot clearance over sidewalks and 14-foot clearance over streets 
  • Trim trees and vegetation from obscuring traffic signs as required by the Montana Department of Transportation
  • Trim or remove vegetation that is a fire hazard
  • Leave a 3-foot clearance around fire hydrants as required by the Fire Department
  • Property owners and tenants are responsible for keeping their lawns mowed to the edge of the roadway 
  • Lawn and boulevard grasses must be less than 4" tall. This includes front, back, and side yards and any right-of-way areas from the property line to the roadway
  • Get a permit to remove boulevard trees
  • Do NOT blow fresh cut grasses into the street, this creates a significant hazard for bicyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians, as it may be slippery and unstable  

Read the Code

Learn more about our weeds and offending vegetation rules on our in our Livingston Municipal Code section Chapter 12 Article VIII entitled Weeds and/or Offending Vegetation

  • Definitions- what constitutes a weed, and who is responsible?
  • Duty to remove weeds, public nuisance
  • Failure to comply, penalties and assessments, and more 

Additional information and how to report a concern

For questions or concerns regarding overgrowth between private properties. Those issues should be settled between the property owners.

To report a code violation in Livingston, call the non-emergency line at Police Dispatch at (406) 222-2050, and ask to make a report for the Code Enforcement Officer.

City Code provides the non-complying owner or renter with 7- days from the date of the first mailed notice to bring the property into compliance.  

 

 

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