This latter common layperson use of the term quickly becomes subjective. In fact, sometimes when you confront the property owners that your neighborhood thinks are creating a nuisance, often you find that these folks don't think they are out of line at all. Or at the very least, you can't get them to admit they are doing anything wrong.

At this point you hope that your city or town has an ordinance that covers the offending condition on the property. Nuisance ordinances as such are mostly a thing of the past, at least when it comes to conditions on the property. Usually cities now are relying on their codes, which typically are based on internationally composed codes that may have some custom local touches.

To find out if the situation that bothers you or your neighborhood association is covered under one of your ordinances, you will need to ask the city or try to look it up online. If you want some background first, you could read our articles on property maintenance codes or an existing building code.

In addition, if the structural condition of a building is poor, your building department may become involved. If you are worried about junky vegetation or tall grass and weeds, your city may have a freestanding ordinance that covers that, or occasionally the zoning ordinance lists requirements. Outdoor storage, including storage of unlicensed vehicles, recreational vehicles, and miscellaneous possessions and machinery, often is discussed in the zoning ordinance, or there may be separate laws addressing these "nuisances" as well.

Outright dumping, such as the mess shown in this e-mail, often is prohibited under public health or stream protection laws and sometimes the zoning ordinance also.

Noise ordinances often are separate from other laws, and sometimes we hear people talk about midnight fireworks and loud parties as "nuisances."

An excessive number of animals, barking dogs, unleashed pets, and the like probably are violations of an animal control ordinance.

Poor vacant lot maintenance may fall under a number of different ordinances.

Just to make matters more complicated, sometimes a local city council will defer to what they regard as sufficient state law to handle some types of sticky situations.

We suppose lawmakers who enact such a provision are well-meaning and want to relocate trouble-makers and criminals out of their towns.