SB84 Alabama 2015 Session

Updated Feb 27, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Tim MelsonSenator
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2015
Title: Athens, weed abatement as nuisance, notice, liens, foreclosure of property
Summary: This act lets Athens declare overgrown grass and weeds a public nuisance, order abatement, and place a lien on the property to recover abatement costs through the property tax system.
What This Bill Does
If a nuisance exists, the enforcing official can issue a written notice to the property owner to abate within 14 days, with possible extension up to 28 days. The owner can request a hearing; if a nuisance is confirmed, the owner must complete abatement within the time given. If the owner does not abate, the city may abate the nuisance and then charge the costs to the property as a weed lien, added to the next ad valorem tax bill and collected like property taxes, with foreclosure if taxes remain unpaid. The weed lien survives redemptions, and purchasers at state sales take the property subject to the lien.

Who It Affects
Property owners in Athens who have overgrown grass or weeds on their property and may face abatement orders, costs, and potential liens or foreclosure.
Limestone County Revenue Commissioner and Athens city officials who administer notices, attach weed liens to properties, and collect abatement costs through the ad valorem tax system, including handling filings and foreclosures.

Key Provisions
Section 1: Applies only to the City of Athens.
Section 2: Defines what counts as a public nuisance (overgrown grass/weeds meeting specific health, safety, fire, aesthetic, or debris-related criteria and exceeding 12 inches in height).
Section 3: Establishes the enforcing official's authority to issue a written notice to abate, sets abatement timelines (14 days, up to 28 days with extensions), outlines hearing procedures before an administrative official, and describes notice delivery and possible additional notices.
Section 4: If the nuisance is not abated, the city may abate it and recover costs by creating a weed lien, which the Revenue Commissioner adds to the property’s ad valorem tax bill, with collection and foreclosure procedures; the city may be reimbursed for foreclosure costs if applicable.
Section 5: Redemption or sale does not discharge the weed lien; purchasers take the property subject to the lien.
Section 6-8: Provisions are cumulative, severable, and the act becomes effective immediately after approval.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Limestone County