[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council
of the Township of Stafford 8-21-1984 by Ord. No. 84-53. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following definitions
shall have the following meanings indicated:
Includes any person, persons, corporation, partnership or
firm or other owner or tenant of the subject property.
[Amended 1-17-1994 by Ord. No. 94-07]
A.
Where it shall be necessary and expedient for the
preservation of the public health, safety, general welfare or to eliminate
a fire hazard, an owner or tenant of real property within the Township
of Stafford shall remove from such lands brush, weeds, dead and dying
trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growth, filth, garbage, trash and
debris within 10 days after notice to remove the same from the designated
official of the Township of Stafford.
B.
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.26, every owner or tenant of lands lying within the Township of Stafford shall be required to keep all brush, hedges, fences and other obstructions which are within 10 feet of any roadway and within 20 feet of any intersection of two roadways cut to a height of not more than 2 1/2 feet measured from the grade at the curbline or as delineated in § 130-71, entitled "Sight triangles." Any owner or tenant notified by the designated official of the Township that he or she is in violation of this section shall have 10 days after said notice to cut the same.
[Amended 1-17-1994 by Ord. No. 94-07]
If an owner or tenant who has received notice in accordance with the provisions of § 68-2 fails to remove from said lands the brush, weeds, dead and dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growth, filth, garbage, trash and debris or fails to cut any brush, hedges, shrubs or other obstructions for which said person was cited within 10 days of notice to remove the same, then and in that event, the Township shall have the right to provide for the removal of the same by or under the direction of an officer of the municipality.
[Amended 1-17-1994 by Ord. No. 94-07]
In all cases where any brush, weeds, dead and
dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growth, filth, garbage, trash
and debris are removed or any brush, hedges, shrubs or other obstructions
are cut by the Township under the provisions of this chapter, the
municipal officer of the municipality in charge of the removal of
said material shall certify the cost thereof to the governing body.
Upon receipt of the certificate of cost, the governing body shall
examine the same and, if found correct, shall cause the cost as shown
thereon to be charged against the property from which said material
was removed. The amount so charged shall become a lien upon such lands
and shall be added to and become and form part of the taxes next to
be assessed and levied upon said lands, the same to bear interest
at the same rate as other taxes, and shall be collected and enforced
by the Tax Collector of the Township in accordance with the provisions
of N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.27.
[Amended 2-21-1989 by Ord. No. 89-22]
A.
Any person violating or failing to comply with any
of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof,
be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, by imprisonment for
a term not to exceed 90 days or by community service of not more than
90 days, or any combination of fine, imprisonment and community service
as determined in the discretion of the Municipal Court Judge. The
continuation of such violation for each successive day shall constitute
a separate offense, and the person or persons allowing or permitting
the continuation of the violation may be punished as provided above
for each separate offense.
B.
The violation of any provision of this chapter shall
be subject to abatement summarily by a restraining order or injunction
issued by a court of competent jurisdiction.
