Chapter 11.70 Enforcement

City Code Chapter

11.70.010 Purpose.

  1. This Chapter establishes an enforcement system to prohibit illegal tree activity in order to further the City’s goals for optimizing and enhancing the urban forest. The primary focus of this system is to seek corrective action and restoration before seeking more punitive measures. Nevertheless, penalties are necessary to ensure that it does not become less costly to violate the Title than to abide by its requirements. The enforcement actions prescribed herein are established to be effective deterrents for egregious or willing misconduct and are intended to escalate for the severity or repeated nature of the violation.

11.70.020 Where These Regulations Apply.

  1. A.  City of Portland. This Chapter applies to all trees within the City of Portland.
  2. B.  County Urban Pocket Areas. Trees in the County Urban Pocket Areas are subject to all regulations of this Chapter except Subsections 11.70.050 A. through C. and E. through G. (some Subsections of Prohibited Actions); 11.70.060 B. (a Subsection of Inspections and Evidence); and 11.70.080 C. (a Subsection of Correcting Violations of This Title).

11.70.030 Violations.

  1. A.  Each specific incident and each day of non-compliance for the following may be considered a separate violation of Title 11:
    1. 1.  Any failure, refusal or neglect to comply with any provision of this Title;
    2. 2.  Allowing or causing a tree-related condition that threatens to injure the public health or safety, or threatens to damage public or private property; or
    3. 3.  Causing or allowing any prohibited actions as cited in this Chapter to occur.
  2. B.  The following constitute violations of Title 33 Planning and Zoning and not Title 11:
    1. 1.  Overlay Zones and Plan Districts. Removal of any tree in Overlay Zones or Plan Districts when the removal is not exempt or allowed by Title 33 Planning and Zoning or has not been otherwise authorized through an applicable development permit or land use review.
    2. 2.  Conditions of land use reviews. Unauthorized removal of a tree required to be protected as a condition of a land use review while a condition of approval is in effect.

11.70.040 Enforcement Authority.

(Amended by Ordinance 191736, effective July 1, 2024.)

  1. The City Forester and PP&D Director are hereby authorized to enforce this Title utilizing Title 3 adopted remedies and any of the remedies prescribed in this Title. Enforcement responsibilities are summarized in Table 70-1. When violations occur that involve trees in overlay zones and plan district areas, the City Forester and PP&D Director will consult and coordinate their enforcement action to the degree possible in order to avoid the issuance of multiple or conflicting orders. When violations of the tree maintenance specifications of Section 11.60.060 affect public infrastructure or jeopardize the travelling public, the Responsible Engineer is authorized to invoke summary abatement to correct the violation. In cases where multiple violations of City code exist on a property, the City Forester, PP&D Director, and Responsible Engineer are authorized, but not required, to delegate enforcement authority of this Title to another Bureau to facilitate a coordinated remedy and single agency responsible for obtaining compliance.

Table 70-1 

Summary of Enforcement Authority

​Heritage   TreesCity/Street   TreesPrivate   TreesOverlay Zones and
  Plan Districts
City/Street   TreesPrivate   Trees

Development permit[1,2,3]

(Ch.  11.50)

PP&D/CFPP&D/CFPP&DPP&D/CFPP&D

Tree Permit, no development[4]

(Ch.  11.40)

CFCFCFCF/PP&DCF/PP&D

Maintenance violations[4]

(Ch.  11.70)

CFCFCF/PP&DCF/PP&DCF/PP&D

CF = City   Forester   PP&D= PP&D Director

Note  [1] For sites in County Urban Pocket Areas, enforcement applies only to on-site trees, and is done by PP&D.

    [2] Trees specifically required to be preserved by condition of land use approval that have been removed or damaged will be enforced by the PP&D Director through Title 33 Planning and Zoning.

    [3] The PP&D Director is the lead enforcement authority for violations of development permits issued by PP&D. The PP&D Director may consult with the City Forester when Heritage, City, or Street Trees are involved. The City Forester is the lead enforcement authority for violations during development not covered under a PP&DS permit.

    [4] The City Forester is the lead enforcement authority when no development is occurring. The City Forester may consult with the PP&D Director when the provisions of Titles 29 or 33 are also violated.

11.70.050 Prohibited Actions.

(Amended by Ordinance 191030, effective November 11, 2022.) 

  1. Any of the following actions constitute violations of this Title and may be declared a nuisance for the purposes of correcting or abating the unlawful action.
  2. A.   Failure to properly maintain trees. It is unlawful for any person to fail to comply with any of the tree maintenance specifications set forth in Section 11.60.060.
  3. B.   Conducting regulated activities without a tree permit. It is unlawful for any person to plant, place, prune, alter, remove, destroy, cut, break or injure any tree without first obtaining a tree permit for said action, except as provided in this Title.
  4. C.  Non-compliance with terms and conditions of a tree permit. It is unlawful for any person to violate the conditions or time limits imposed upon any tree permit.
  5. D.   Non-compliance with terms and conditions of a development permit. It is unlawful to fail to adhere to the requirements of a development permit for tree preservation, protection or planting.
  6. E.   Topping and excessive pruning. It is unlawful for any person to top or excessively prune any tree. Trees shall be allowed to grow in their natural form. A tree that has been topped or excessively pruned may be considered "removed" for the purposes of establishing penalties and any replacement requirements. The City may also require the property owner or responsible party to treat the tree as described in Section 11.70.080.
  7. F.  Activities that cause injury to regulated trees. It is unlawful for any person to injure a regulated tree as defined in Section 11.80.20.
  8. G.   Attachments to trees. It is unlawful to attach or keep attached to any City or Street Tree, any signs, ropes, wires, chains or other devices whatsoever, when such devices are determined to threaten the viability of the tree or are likely to create a hazard. Any attachments to City or Street Trees are subject to obtaining a tree permit from the City Forester, as stated in Chapter 11.40.
  9. H.   Interference with tree grates and tree guards. It is unlawful for any person to damage, interfere or otherwise misuse any tree grate or guard set for the protection of any Street Tree, City tree, or Heritage tree. Removal of such devices may only occur as authorized by the City Forester.
  10. I.  Failure to install or maintain protection measures. It is unlawful for any person to fail to install required tree protection measures prior to commencing any development activity subject to Chapter 11.50. Furthermore, it is unlawful for such person to move any required protection measures, neglect or fail to maintain such measures throughout the development activity, or allow any restricted activity or disturbance to occur within the protection area without prior City approval.
  11. J.  Removal or failure to maintain required trees. It is unlawful for any person to fail to maintain in a healthy condition, trees required to be planted by virtue of a tree permit or development permit, including landscape trees and trees necessary to meet tree density standards. Any such trees that die shall be replaced.

11.70.060 Inspections and Evidence.

(Amended by Ordinances 191030 and 191736, effective July 1, 2024.)

  1. A.  The City may conduct inspections whenever it is necessary to enforce any provisions of this Title, to determine compliance with this Title or whenever the City has reasonable cause to believe there exists any violation of this Title. Inspections shall occur during business hours. If the responsible party is at the site when the inspection is occurring, the PP&D Director, City Forester, or other authorized representative shall first present proper credentials to the responsible party and request entry. If such entry is thereupon refused, the PP&D Director or City Forester shall have recourse to any remedy provided by law to obtain entry, including obtaining an administrative search warrant.
  2. B.  If any tree is removed without a tree removal permit, a violation will be determined by measuring the circumference of the stump at the ground to establish the diameter size of the tree. For purposes of this Subsection, the diameter size of the tree is the circumference divided by 3.14.
  3. C.  In cases where a tree stump has been removed, the PP&D Director or City Forester may use photographs of the tree including the city’s most current aerial images to determine if a violation has occurred. For aerial photographs, when the associated canopy measures 1,600 square feet at the edge of the dripline, this may be considered prima facie evidence of a violation of this Chapter. Nothing in this Subsection will be construed to limit the introduction of other photographic evidence before the Code Hearings Officer.
  4. D.  When there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate whether a removed tree was a nuisance species or native tree species, the tree will be considered as a non-native, non-nuisance species tree.
  5. E.  Tree removal, topping, or other injury caused by natural causes or weather will not be deemed a violation of this Title, provided there is no other clear evidence to suggest that the tree was deliberately removed or injured.

11.70.070 Notice and Order.

(Amended by Ordinance 191736, effective July 1, 2024.)

  1. A.  Notification required. Except in the case of summary abatement or immediate danger, if the PP&D Director or City Forester finds one or more violations of the provisions of this Title on a property or adjacent street, the PP&D Director or City Forester shall notify the property owner to prune, remove or take any other action as necessary to correct the violations. Notification to the property owner will be accomplished by mailing a notice to the owner, at the owner's address as recorded in the county assessment and taxation records for the property. The notice may be sent via either first class or certified mail. Notice to the property owner may also be accomplished by posting notice on the property. Additional notice to the responsible party, if different than the owner, may also be provided at the City’s discretion.
  2. B.  Content of the notice. The notice shall include:
    1. 1.  The date of posting (if notice was posted at the property);
    2. 2.  The street address or a description sufficient for identification of the property;
    3. 3.  A statement that one or more violations of this Title exist at the property with a general description of the violations;
    4. 4.  Disclosure that penalties, charges, and liens may result from a failure to remedy the violations;
    5. 5.  Specification of a response period during which the property may be brought into compliance with this Title before penalties, charges or liens will be assessed; and
    6. 6.  Disclosure that the owner’s right to request an administrative review to appeal the findings of the notice of violation and a description of the time limits for requesting an administrative review as set forth in this Chapter.
  3. C.  Compliance inspections and penalties. Once a notice has been mailed, the owner will be responsible for all enforcement penalties associated with the property, as described in this Chapter, until the violations are corrected and the City has been so notified. Except in the case of summary abatement, whenever the owner believes that all violations listed in the first or any subsequent notice of violation have been corrected, they shall notify the City.
  4. D.  Time limits. The PP&D Director or City Forester shall set time limits in which the violations of this Title are to be corrected. Failure to comply with the time limits may be considered a separate violation of this Title.
  5. E.  Information filed with County Recorder. If the City finds violations of this Title on any property, the City may record with the County Recorder information regarding City code violations and possible liens on the property.

11.70.080 Correcting Violations of this Title.

(Amended by Ordinances 188278, 188647, 191030 and 191736, effective July 1, 2024.)

  1. A.  General. The following list of remedies gives the City Forester and PP&D Director broad discretion in applying a reasonable and effective means to restore a tree or site where trees have been illegally removed or damaged, or where a dead, dying, dangerous, or nuisance species tree has been identified to be preserved to meet Subsection 11.50.040 C.1. The rights and remedies provided in this Chapter are cumulative, are not mutually exclusive, and are in addition to any other rights, remedies and penalties available to the City under any other provision of law including the enforcement actions described in Section 11.70.090. The City Forester or PP&D Director may adopt administrative rules to establish priorities and guidelines for the following remedies.
  2. B.  Standard remedies. Standard remedies are intended to address a wide variety of violations of this Title. Additional remedies specific to City and Street Trees, and trees in development situations are described in Subsections C. and D. When the City determines that a violation of this Title has occurred, any or all of the standard remedies described in this Subsection, and any applicable additional remedies described in this Section may be required depending on the severity and extent of the violation.
    1. 1.  Minor Infractions. For minor infractions that do not result in damage to a tree, the City will first seek to correct the violation without penalties. These infractions may include failing to prune or remove a tree in violation of Chapter 11.60, failing to install or maintain tree protection when prohibited activities have not occurred within the root protection zone, or failing to plant a tree as required by a development permit or condition of granting a tree removal permit.
    2. 2.  Treatment. For trees that are damaged but were not removed and where the City Forester concurs that the tree may still be viable, the violation will not be considered an "illegal tree removal" provided:
      1. a.  The property owner or responsible party contracts for the services of an arborist to assess the damage and prescribe a treatment regimen;
      2. b.  The property owner or responsible party enters into a contract with an arborist to complete the treatment regimen. The treatment and associated monitoring period shall be at least 1 year, but may be longer; and
      3. c.  The arborist shall provide the City with updates on the services performed, when they were performed, and the status of the tree’s condition at intervals determined by the original treatment regimen. If the tree dies at any time during the treatment and monitoring period, the property owner or responsible party shall remove and replace the tree subject to the tree replacement requirements described in Subsection B.3.
      4. d.  In lieu of the treatment regimen and monitoring period described above, the City Forester may instead accept a performance guarantee per Chapter 11.10. The performance guarantee shall be sufficient to cover the cost of removing the tree plus the cost of tree replacement as described in Subsection B.3. When the property owner or responsible party selects this option, death of the tree within the 3 year timeframe may be deemed prima facie evidence that the damage was the sole cause of the tree’s death.
    3. 3.  Revised Tree Plan and Payment in Lieu. In cases where a dead, dying, dangerous or nuisance species tree is identified to be preserved to meet Subsection 11.50.040 C.1., the City Forester may require a revision to the submitted tree plan to ensure that only healthy, viable trees are preserved to meet the requirement. If the applicant disagrees with the City’s determination on the health or species of a tree to be preserved, an arborist report can be submitted by the applicant to demonstrate compliance. If no trees remain on site to meet the preservation requirement, the applicant may pay the applicable mitigation fee, as defined in Subsection 11.50.040 C. 
    4. 4.  Tree Replacement and Payment in Lieu. The City may require replacement for any trees removed illegally. The City may require greater than tree-for-tree replacement, but may not require greater than inch-for-inch replacement. For each tree that the City positively determines was dead, dying, or dangerous, the replacement will be limited to one tree. The responsible party shall enter into a replanting and maintenance plan agreement approved by the City. When the responsible party is unable to accommodate the required replacement planting on the site or adjacent street, the balance of required inches may be paid as a fee in lieu of planting to the Tree Planting and Preservation Fund.
    5. 5.  Tree Permit Violation Review. The City may require any person who cuts, removes, or damages any tree without a permit as required by this Title or is in non-compliance with any term, condition, limitation or requirement of a tree permit or Tree Plan, to submit an application for a Tree Permit Violation Review. Trees removed in violation of Title 33 Planning and Zoning requirements may also be processed in accordance with the enforcement provisions of that Title.
    6. Tree Permit Violation Applications are processed as Type B permits, and are subject to public notice but not the public appeal procedures of Chapter 11.30. The purpose of this review is to establish appropriate replacement requirements and notify interested parties. Failure to abide by the conditions of the approval will be treated as a repeat offense.
  3. C.  Additional remedies for City and Street Trees. In addition to the remedies provided by any other provision of this Chapter, when the City Forester determines that a violation of this Title has occurred involving a City Tree or Street Tree, the City Forester may seek additional remedies as described below.
    1. 1.  Restoration Fees. The City may require any person to pay into the City’s Urban Forestry Fund a restoration fee for the damaged or removed tree according to the City’s adopted fee schedule. The restoration fee may be doubled if any of the following apply:
      1. a.  The person has been convicted of a previous violation of this Title; or
      2. b.  The tree was subject to the protection requirements of a Tree Plan.
    2. 2.  Civil Remedies. The City will have the right to obtain, in any court of competent jurisdiction, a judgment against any person removing or causing damage to any City tree or Street Tree in violation of this Title. In any such action, the measure of damages is the actual replacement value of the damaged or destroyed trees as well as any other consequential damage to other public facilities within the street.
  4. D.  Additional remedies for Private Trees Subject to a Tree Plan. In addition to the remedies provided by any other provision of this Chapter or other Titles, when the PP&D Director determines that a violation of this Title has occurred involving a Private Tree shown to be protected on a Tree Plan, the PP&D Director may require the property owner or responsible party to correct the violation using any of the following remedies.
    1. 1.  Tree Protection Re-inspection Fee. When an inspection of a site subject to development under an approved Tree Plan finds that tree protection measures have not been installed as required or are not properly maintained, the City may issue a correction notice and require the responsible party to pay a Tree Protection Re-inspection Fee. Payment of the fee is required prior to final inspection.
    2. 2.  Tree Plan Revision. For tree removal or injury which results in removal, and where the tree was not required to be preserved by virtue of a land use approval, the PP&D Director may require the applicant to prepare a revision to the approved plans and demonstrate conformance with the applicable tree preservation and tree density standards in Chapter 11.50, including any additional tree planting, payments, or preservation of alternate trees.
  5. E.  Additional remedies for Heritage Trees. In addition to the remedies provided by any other provision of this Chapter, when the City Forester determines that a violation of this Title has occurred involving a Heritage Tree, the City Forester may seek additional remedies as described below.
    1. 1.  Restoration Fees.
      1. a.  Private Heritage Trees. The City may require any person to pay into the City’s Tree Planting and Preservation Fund for the damage or removal of a Heritage Tree, according to the City’s adopted Title 11 Tree Fee Schedule.
      2. b.  City and Street Heritage Trees. The City may require any person to pay into the City’s Urban Forestry Fund for the damage or removal of a Heritage Tree, according to the City’s adopted Title 11 Tree Fee Schedule.

11.70.090 Enforcement Actions.

(Amended by Ordinances 188278, 189413, 191030 and 191736, effective July 1, 2024.)

  1. A.  General. The following list of enforcement actions gives the City Forester and PP&D Director additional means to obtain compliance with the requirements of this Title. The rights and remedies provided in this Chapter are cumulative, are not mutually exclusive, and are in addition to any other rights, remedies and penalties available to the City under any other provision of law. The City Forester or PP&D Director may adopt administrative rules to establish priorities and guidelines for the following enforcement actions.
  2. B.  Standard enforcement actions. Standard enforcement actions may be invoked for general violations of this Title, including conducting tree activities without a required tree permit. In addition to these standard actions, the City Forester may take additional actions for City and Street Tree violations as described in Subsection C.
    1. 1.  Civil penalties. The City Forester or PP&D Director may issue a fee, penalty notice or citation, as applicable, to any person who cuts, removes, prunes or harms any tree without a permit as required by this Title or is otherwise in non-compliance with any term, condition, limitation or requirement of an approval granted under this Title, and require payment of a civil penalty up to $1,000 per day. Each tree constitutes a separate violation, and each day that the person fails to obtain a permit or remains in non-compliance with a permit or tree plan may also constitute a separate violation.
    2. 2.  Initiating a proceeding before the Code Hearings Officer. The City Forester and PP&D Director are each authorized to initiate proceedings before the Code Hearings Officer, as stated in the procedures in Title 22 Hearings Officer, to enforce the provisions of this Section when the responsible person fails to respond to the City Forester or PP&D Director’s notice or citation as described in Section 11.70.070, above. The Hearings Officer may order any party to:
      1. a.  Abate or remove any nuisance;
      2. b.  Install any equipment or plant trees necessary to achieve compliance;
      3. c.  Pay to the City of Portland a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per day. In determining the amount of any civil penalty to be assessed, the Code Hearings Officer will consider the following:
        1. (1)  The nature and extent of the property owner or responsible party’s involvement in the violation;
        2. (2)  The benefits, economic, financial or otherwise, accruing or likely to accrue as a result of the violation;
        3. (3)  Whether the violation was isolated and temporary, or repeated and continuing;
        4. (4)  The magnitude and seriousness of the violation;
        5. (5)  The City’s cost of investigation and remedying the violation;
        6. (6)  Any other applicable facts bearing on the nature and seriousness of the violation.
      4. d.  Undertake any other action reasonably necessary to correct the violation or mitigate the effects thereof.
    3. 3.  Delayed intake of applications.
      1. a.  Development permits or land use reviews. When a violation of this Title has occurred on a site, the PP&D Director may refuse land use or development permit applications until the violation has been satisfactorily resolved.
      2. b.  Tree permits. When a violation of this Title has occurred, the City Forester may delay intake or review of applications for tree permits from the property owner or other applicant, as identified on the violated permit application, until the violation has been satisfactorily resolved.
    4. 4.  Disqualification from City contracts. At their discretion, the City Forester or Responsible Engineer may refuse to consider any arborist, builder, landscaper, contractor, or tree service that has been cited for any tree activity in violation of this Title or submitted a falsified report for the criteria required in this Title, as a responsible bidder for any City contracts for a period of 2 years from the date of violation or falsified report.
    5. 5.  Removal from City’s list of local tree care providers. The City Forester may remove any arborist, builder, landscaper, contractor, or tree service that refuses to correct a violation, has been fined for any tree violation of this Title, or submitted a falsified report for the criteria required in this Title, from the list of contractors providing related services for a period of 2 years from the date of violation or report.
    6. 6.  Abatement. Whenever a responsible party or property owner conducts a prohibited action per Section 11.70.050, the City may pursue abatement proceedings to remove the nuisance. Whenever the City has declared that such nuisance exists, the property liable for the nuisance will be directed to abate the nuisance by following the notice and abatement procedures outlined in this Chapter.
    7. 7.  Stop Work Orders. When any work is being conducted in violation of this Title the City Forester or PP&D Director may issue a stop work order as stated in the requirements of Section 3.30.080.
    8. 8.  Enforcement fees and penalties.
      1. a.  The City may charge fees and penalties in the form of a monthly enforcement penalty for each property found in violation of this Title that meets the following conditions:
        1. (1)  The property is a subject of a notice of violation of this Title as described in Section 11.70.070;
        2. (2)  A response period of 30 days has passed since the effective date of the initial notice of violation; and
        3. (3)  The property remains out of compliance with the initial notice of violation or any subsequent notice of violation.
      2. b.  The amount of the fees and penalties in the monthly enforcement penalty shall be charged as set forth in the Title 11, Trees Fee Schedule, as approved by the City Council.
      3. c.  Properties in violation for 3 months from the initial notice of violation will be assessed fees and penalties in the form of an enforcement penalty that is twice the amount as listed in the Title 11, Trees Fees Schedule, as approved by the City Council.
      4. d.  Whenever the owner believes that all violations listed in the first or any subsequent notice of violation have been corrected, they shall notify the PP&D Director or City Forester. Upon receipt of such notice, the PP&D Director or City Forester will promptly schedule an inspection of the property and notify the owner if any violations remain uncorrected.
      5. e.  Once monthly enforcement penalties begin, they will continue until all violations listed in the first or any subsequent notice of violation have been corrected, inspected and approved.
    9. 9.  Liens. When a property meets the conditions for charging costs, fees, or penalties as described in this Chapter, the PP&D Director or City Forester, as applicable, will file a statement with the Revenue Division that identifies the property, the amount of the costs, fees, or penalties, and the date from which the charges are to begin. The Revenue Division will then:
      1. a.  Notify the property owner of the assessment of enforcement penalties;
      2. b.  Record a property lien in the Docket of City Liens;
      3. c.  Bill the property owner for the full amount of enforcement penalties owing, plus additional charges to cover administrative costs of the Revenue Division; and
      4. ​​​​​​​d.  Maintain lien records until the lien and all associated interest, fees, penalties, and costs are paid in full; and the PP&D Director or City Forester, as applicable, certifies that all violations listed in the original or any subsequent notice of violation have been corrected.
  3. ​​​​​​​C.  Additional Enforcement Actions for City and Street Tree Violations. The City Forester may impose the following additional actions for City or Street Tree violations.
    1. 1.  Criminal penalties. In addition to any other remedy provided in this Chapter, the City Attorney, acting in the name of the City, may seek Criminal Penalties in any court of competent jurisdiction. The court may require that any responsible party violating any provision of this Title will, upon conviction, be fined a sum not exceeding $1,000 or will be imprisoned for a term not exceeding 6 months.
    2. 2.  Institution of legal proceedings. In addition to any other remedy provided in this Chapter, the City Attorney, acting in the name of the City, may maintain an action or proceeding in any court of competent jurisdiction to compel compliance with or restrain by injunction the violation of any provision of this Title.

11.70.100 Nuisance Abatement.

 (Amended by Ordinances 188278 and 191736, effective July 1, 2024.)

  1. A.  Abatement. If, within the time limit set by the City in the notice of violation, any nuisance described in the notice has not been removed and abated, or cause shown, as specified in Sections 11.70.100 through .130 of this Title, why such nuisance should not be removed or abated, or where summary abatement is authorized, the PP&D Director or City Forester may cause the nuisance to be removed and abated, including disposal in an approved manner.
  2. B.  Warrants. The PP&D Director or City Forester may request any Circuit Court judge to issue a nuisance abatement warrant whenever entry onto private property is necessary to remove and abate any nuisance, or whenever the PP&D Director or City Forester has reasonable cause to believe that there exists upon any property any violation as described in Section 11.70.030 above.
  3. C.  Grounds for issuance of nuisance abatement warrants; affidavit.
    1. 1.  Affidavit. A nuisance abatement warrant will be issued only upon cause, supported by affidavit, particularly describing the applicant's status in applying for the warrant, the statute, ordinance or regulation requiring or authorizing the removal and abatement of the nuisance, the property to be entered, the basis upon which cause exists to remove or abate the nuisance, and a statement of the general types and estimated quantity of the items to be removed or conditions abated.
    2. 2.  Cause. Cause will be deemed to exist if reasonable legislative or administrative standards for removing and abating nuisances are satisfied with respect to any property, or if there is cause to believe that a nuisance violation exists, as defined in this Title, with respect to the designated property.
  4. D.  Procedure for issuance of a nuisance abatement warrant.
    1. 1.  Examination. Before issuing a nuisance abatement warrant, the judge may examine the applicant and any other witness under oath and shall be satisfied of the existence of grounds for granting such application.
    2. 2.  Issuance. If the judge is satisfied that cause for the removal and abatement of any nuisance exists and that the other requirements for granting the application are satisfied, the judge will issue the warrant, particularly describing the person or persons authorized to execute the warrant, the property to be entered, and a statement of the general types and estimated quantity of the items to be removed or conditions abated. The warrant will contain a direction that it be executed during business hours, or where the judge has specially determined upon a showing that it cannot be effectively executed between those hours, that it be executed at any additional or other time of the day or night.
    3. 3.  Police assistance. In issuing a nuisance abatement warrant, the judge may authorize any peace officer, as defined in Oregon Revised Statutes, to enter the described property to remove any person or obstacle and to assist the representative of the bureau in any way necessary to enter the property and remove and abate the nuisance.
    4. 4.  Return. A nuisance abatement warrant shall be executed within 10 working days of its issue and returned to the judge by whom it was issued within 10 working days from its date of execution. After the expiration of the time prescribed by this Subsection, the warrant unless executed is void.
  5. E.  Cost of nuisance abatement.
    1. 1.  Whenever a nuisance is abated by the City, the PP&D Director or City Forester shall keep an accurate account of all expenses incurred for each nuisance abated including but not limited to abatement costs, civil penalties, fees, administrative costs, recorders fees and title report charges as set forth in the Title 11, Trees Fee Schedule, as approved by City Council.
    2. 2.  When the City has abated a nuisance maintained by any owner of real property, for each subsequent nuisance which is abated by the City within 2 consecutive calendar years concerning real property, owned by the same person, an additional civil penalty as set forth in the Title 11, Trees Fee Schedule, shall be added to the costs, charges and civil penalties. The additional civil penalty shall be imposed without regard to whether the nuisance abated by the City involved the same real property or is of the same character as the previous nuisance.
    3. 3.  Costs and penalties resulting from nuisance abatement shall be assessed as a lien upon the real property as provided in Section 11.70.090 Enforcement Actions.

11.70.110 Summary Abatement.

(Amended by Ordinance 191736, effective July 1, 2024.)

  1. A.  When summary abatement is authorized by this Title, the decision regarding whether or not to use summary abatement will be at the City’s discretion. In the case of summary abatement, notice to the owner or occupant of the property prior to abatement is not required.
  2. B.  Following summary abatement, the PP&D Director or City Forester, as applicable, shall post upon the property liable for the abatement a notice describing the action taken to abate the nuisance violation. In addition, a Notice of Summary Abatement shall be mailed to the property owner. The notice shall include:
    1. 1.  The date the nuisance on the property was abated;
    2. 2.  The street address or description sufficient to identify the property;
    3. 3.  A statement of the violations of Title 11 that existed at the property and were summarily abated;
    4. 4.  Disclosure that penalties, charges and liens will result from the summary abatement; and
    5. 5.  Disclosure of the owner's right to appeal the findings of the notice as set forth in this Chapter.

11.70.120 Administrative Review.

(Amended by Ordinances 191030 and 191736, effective July 1, 2024.)

  1. A.  Whenever a property owner or responsible party has been given a notice as required by this Chapter and has been directed to make any correction or to perform any act and the owner or responsible party believes the finding of the notice was in error, the owner or responsible party may have the notice reviewed by the PP&D Director or City Forester, as applicable. If a review is sought, the owner or responsible party shall submit a written request to the City within 15 days of the date of the notice. The PP&D Director or City Forester, as applicable, may extend this requirement for good cause shown. Such review will be conducted by the PP&D Director or City Forester, as applicable. The owner or responsible party requesting such review will be given the opportunity to present evidence. Following the review, the PP&D Director or City Forester, as applicable will issue a written determination.
  2. B.  Nothing in this Section limits the authority of either the PP&D Director or City Forester to initiate a proceeding under Title 22 Hearings Officer.

11.70.140 Further Appeals.

  1. All appeals from the Code Hearings Officer’s determination in accordance with Section 11.70.130 will be by writ of review as authorized by Section 22.04.010 of the City Code and ORS 34.010 - 34.100.

11.70.150 Waivers.

(Amended by Ordinance 191736, effective July 1, 2024.)

  1. The PP&D Director or City Forester may grant an exception when the enforcement of the requirements of this Title would cause undue hardship to the owner or occupants of the affected property, or whenever the PP&D Director or City Forester deems it necessary in order to accomplish the purpose of this Title.
  2. A.  To carry out the intent of this Section the PP&D Director and City Forester shall establish written policies in the form of waivers to explain the exceptions available to property owners. Waivers will include the following information:
    1. 1.  An explanation of the purpose of the waiver and a list of the requirements the owner shall meet in order to qualify for the waiver;
    2. 2.  An explanation of the period of time during which the waiver will be in effect;
    3. 3.  A list of the actions the owner shall perform to fulfill their responsibilities to maintain the waiver and to prevent the waiver from being cancelled.
  3. B.  The owner shall apply for a waiver in writing. This Section may not be construed so as to evade the provisions of Title 22 Hearings Officer.  

See something we could improve on this page? Give website feedback.

Search Code, Charter, Policy