Legal Definitions - abate

To abate means to reduce, remove, or put an end to something, often a problem, a nuisance, or a legal claim. In a legal context, it frequently refers to the official action taken to stop or eliminate a harmful condition or an ongoing disturbance.

• Example 1: Public Nuisance

  Imagine a homeowner whose property has become overgrown with weeds and is attracting rodents, creating an unsanitary and unsightly condition that negatively impacts the neighboring properties. The city's code enforcement department might issue a notice to the homeowner, ordering them to abate the nuisance. This means the homeowner would be legally required to clean up the property, remove the weeds, and address the rodent issue to eliminate the harmful condition.

• Example 2: Tax Assessment

  Consider a small business owner who receives a property tax bill that includes a charge for a new public improvement, such as a sidewalk, which was never actually constructed in front of their business. The business owner could file an appeal with the local tax board to request that this specific charge be abated. If the board finds that the charge was indeed erroneous, they would remove or reduce that portion of the tax assessment, effectively nullifying the incorrect charge.

• Example 3: Environmental Hazard

  A manufacturing plant discovers a leak in one of its storage tanks, causing a slow release of a non-toxic but environmentally damaging chemical into the soil. Environmental regulators would likely issue an order for the plant to immediately abate the hazard. This requires the plant to stop the leak, clean up the contaminated soil, and take preventative measures to ensure such a release does not happen again, thereby eliminating the environmental threat.