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It is the mission of the Property Maintenance Division to work in partnership with the people of Independence to promote and maintain a safe and desirable living and working environment.  The City of Independence has developed municipal codes intended to protect the life, health, safety, and welfare of its residents. The Property Maintenance Code set the standards by which development must conform. We administer a fair and unbiased enforcement program to correct violations of municipal codes and land use requirements. 

The Property Maintenace Division is responsible for enforcement of Chapter 4 and Chapter 14 of the City Code

Common Violations Include

  • Grass and weeds must be less than 7 inches in height.
  • Trash and brush must be removed properly.
  • All trash containers must be removed from the curb the same day trash collection takes place and may not be placed at the curb more than 16 hours before the scheduled collection time. 
  • Items intended for indoor use may not be stored outside. 
  • Inoperable or unlicensed vehicles may only be stored in a fully enclosed structure.
  • Parking of vehicles on an unapproved surface such as grass is prohibited.  
  • All buildings, fencing, retaining walls, and sidewalks must be maintained in good condition.
  • Hauling trailers of 15 feet or less in length and recreational vehicles (RVs) may be parked at residential properties on a paved surface in the front yard or street side yard. RVs and hauling trailers parked in the interior side yard or back yard are not required to be parked on a paved surface. 

Violations may be reported online or by calling (816) 325-7193 Opt. 5

Property Maintenance Violation

Enforcement Methods

In most cases, the person responsible for a code violation is given an opportunity to voluntarily comply with the law and correct the situation.

Once the deadline in the compliance order has passed, the owner or responsible person is subject to the remedies listed below. (In addition to any fines that result, fees including administrative costs will be charged for any abatement action.)

  • General Ordinance Summons (GOS) - This remedy is designed to address minor violations. The fines range from $100 to $500 and generally increase with each offense.
  • Abatement - This remedy is used when the City needs to take action to abate a nuisance. In a typical case, the Division will hire a private contractor to board and secure a structure or clean a property of trash and weeds.
  • Towing – Motor vehicles, hauling trailers, recreational vehicles/equipment, commercial vehicles/equipment, temporary storage containers, rail cars, semi-trailer or similar containers in violation of Chapter 4 or Chapter 14 may be subject to tow. Recovery of such items will be at the owner or responsible person’s expense.