Nuisance Control

The Department of Neighborhood Services Residential Code Enforcement Section provides a number of services for controlling Garbage and Nuisance Vehicles.

GARBAGE/RUBBISH NUISANCES

All complaints regarding garbage lying on the ground at residential or commercial properties should be called in to the Department of Neighborhood Services Residential Code Enforcement Section at 414-286-2268. Only exact addresses of complaints will be accepted. If you do not have the exact address, you will be asked to get it and call back or if it is a vacant lot get the address of the house next to it. The inspector will get the complaint the following day and schedule an inspection. Once verified an order will be issued to the property owner to abate the problem within 24 hours. If they do not comply with the order, a private contractor will be dispatched to the property and the property owner will be invoiced for the costs. 

For additional help see the DNS litter brochure on dealing with litter problems in your neighborhood. This pamphlet contains helpful information about City resources that can be used to help clean up a neighborhood and nuisance related problems. 

ILLEGALLY PARKED VEHICLES

The parking of any vehicle on an unapproved surface on a residential property should be directed to the Department of Neighborhood Services Nuisance and Environmental Health Section at 414-286-2268. Vehicles are not allowed to be parked on grass or dirt. Vehicles can only be parked on cement, asphalt, macadam surfaces or on a gravel driveway which has existed since before 1973. Any violators will be issued a 1-3 day emergency order to park the vehicle on an approved surface. At time of reinspection, if condition has not changed a municipal citation will be issued. The parking of any vehicle on residential property outside of an enclosed garage or shed is prohibited if the vehicle is not currently licensed. Any violations should be reported to 414-286-2268. (Any unlicensed vehicles parked in the street or alley should be referred to the DPW Tow Desk 286-8350.) Not more than 4 vehicles may be parked outside on a residential single family or duplex property at any one time. Complaints regarding this can be reported to 414-286-2268. Violators will be warned and prosecuted. Not more than 1 commercial vehicle may be parked on a lot in a single, 2-family or multi-family district. Such vehicle may not exceed 22 feet in length. Complaints regarding this can be reported to 414-286-2268. Violators will be warned and prosecuted. Not more than 1 recreational vehicle, other than motorcycles and snowmobiles, may be parked on a lot in a single, 2-family or multi-family district. Such vehicle may not exceed 22 feet in length. Complaints regarding this can be reported to 414-286-2268. Violators will be warned and prosecuted.

All parking complaints on public streets or alleys are handled by the DPW tow desk at 414-286-8350.

NUISANCE VEHICLES

Nuisance vehicles are classified as vehicles that are damaged, unsecured, partially dismantled, favorable to the harborage or rodents and insects, etc. The exact address of any nuisance vehicles on private property should be referred to the City of Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services Nuisance and Environmental Health Section at 414-286-2268. (Any nuisance vehicles located on city streets or in city alleys should be referred to the Department of Public Works at 414-286-8350.)

When the inspector verifies that the vehicle is a nuisance, the inspector will fill out a Report of Nuisance Vehicle. The original Nuisance Vehicle Order will be sent to the property owner and a Nuisance Vehicle Warning Notice will be sent to the vehicle owner, if known. The inspector will then place a condemned sticker on the car.

Approximately seven days later the car will be reinspected and if the vehicle's condition remains the same the inspector will (if needed reapply the sticker) and take pictures of the car. The vehicle's paperwork will then be referred to the Department of Public Works for towing. The cost of this plus DNS costs will be placed on the property owner's tax bill at the end of the year.

The owner of the property can inform the inspector immediately after receipt of the order that the vehicle has been abandoned on their property and the inspector can then fax or personally meet with the property owner and have the owner fill out an Application for Removal of Vehicle. This form must be signed and in the inspector's possession within 24 hours of receipt of the order by the property owner. This will allow the owner to have the vehicle removed free of charge if it has been abandoned on the property. The vehicle owner also has the option of sending the DNS office a check or money order and the title of the vehicle, free of liens. Contact the inspector for the current cost of this procedure. Applications for removal of a vehicle can be obtained from the inspector who issued the order and must be returned to the inspector via fax or in person within 24 hours. 

If the vehicle is on private property without the property owner's permission, contact the Department of Public Works Tow Desk at 414-286-8350 and they can make arrangements to have the vehicle towed for free. The vehicle will be towed to a City lot and held for 30 days. If unclaimed, it is sold for salvage. Car owners need to contact the Tow Desk at 414-286-8350 to claim a vehicle.

Dealing With Nuisance Vehicles (DNS-14) - A comprehensive guide to identifying the criteria that make a nuisance vehicle, the process of removing them, and common questions and answers about vehicle storage, parking and numbers allowed.