[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Meeting of the Town of Easton 3-25-1980 as Title VB of the 1980 Code of Ordinances. Amendments noted where applicable.]
No person, firm or corporation owning, leasing, occupying or having charge of any premises shall maintain or keep any nuisance thereon as defined in § 361-2.
For the purpose of this chapter, the term "nuisance" means any condition or use of premises or of building exteriors or vacant lots which causes or tends to cause substantial diminution in the value or enjoyment of other property in the neighborhood in which such condition or use of premises is located or which constitutes a hazard to health or safety of the general public. This includes, but is not limited to, any of the following:
A. 
The keeping or the depositing on or allowing the accumulation of or the scattering over the premises of lumber, junk, trash or debris; abandoned, discarded or unused objects or equipment such as furniture, bedding, stores, refrigerators, freezers, cans or containers; persistent pools of stagnant water from storm runoff or subsurface seepage or discharges of water from the premises; and weeds or other unsightly vegetation contributing to higher pollen counts in the atmosphere.
B. 
Vacant or abandoned structures not secured against entry by boarding, shuttering, locks or watchmen on premises or on regular patrol.
C. 
The keeping, depositing or storing, outside of an enclosed building, of more than two inoperative or unregistered motor vehicles, or the used parts of a motor vehicle, except operative farm vehicles.
[Amended 9-15-2014]
Enforcement of this chapter may be accomplished by the Town in any manner authorized by law. The Police Department of the Town shall have primary responsibility for such enforcement. In the exercise of this responsibility, the Police Department shall cause to have notice served on the violator(s) and the owner(s) of the property, specifying the nature of the violation and the action required of the violator(s) or the owner(s) to correct the complaint. If the violation is not corrected within 10 calendar days, the Town may seek an order from a court of competent jurisdiction to permit the Town, by its agent, designated for such purpose by the Board of Selectmen, to enter such premises and perform such work as may be required to correct the violation. In the event of such action, violators shall be charged the full costs for manpower and equipment employed in doing the work, as well as court costs and other legal costs incurred in obtaining the court order. Any such charges and costs that remain unpaid 90 calendar days after they are billed by the Town shall be filed as liens against the property in question and accrue interest and penalties in the same manner as delinquent taxes.
Notwithstanding any costs and penalties imposed pursuant to § 361-3 of this chapter, those who fail to comply with notice served upon them within the time permitted shall be fined $25 for each violation. A separate offense shall be deemed committed upon each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.
In addition to such actions as the Town may take, any person who, by reason of another's violation of any provision of this chapter, suffers special damage to himself different from that suffered by other property owners throughout the Town generally may bring an action to enjoin or otherwise abate an existing violation.