Zoning Complaints

The Zoning Office investigates and enforces violations of the regulations contained within the Zoning Ordinance, as well as sections of the County Code pertaining to tall grass (Chapter 14), inoperable vehicles (Chapter 12), unpermitted camping (Chapter 14), and trash/debris (Chapter 19). As a policy, Spotsylvania County is primarily complaint-driven with enforcement of these provisions. The Zoning Office does not enforce property maintenance (except for grass in certain circumstances), septic tank issues, nuisance dogs/animals, noise complaints, abandoned pools, or mosquito issues.

Complaints may be lodged to the Zoning Office using the Zoning Complaint Form below. We respectfully request the complainant provide his/her name, address, contact information, and a description of the nature, extent, and location of the potential violation that has occurred. Complainant information is confidential and, in the event of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, will be redacted accordingly.

Once a complaint has been submitted it will be assigned to a staff member who will determine if the issue is something the Zoning Office can enforce and, if so, conduct an inspection to determine the nature and extent of the violation. A letter will then be sent to the property owner requesting compliance. Complainants are advised that the overall abatement process can take some time to complete. As long as the owner shows diligent pursuit in correcting the violation(s), the Zoning Office will continue to work with the owner to abate the violation. Although the ultimate arbiter of zoning violations is the court system, the County always attempts to seek resolution without resulting to court action. Our goal is always a reasonable and flexible approach to achieve compliance.