[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Chenango 1-3-2000 by L.L. No. 3-1999. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Dangerous or unsafe buildings — See Ch. 26.
Numbering of property — See Ch. 53.
Zoning — See Ch. 73.
A. 
The Town Board finds that public nuisances exist in the Town in the form of buildings, structures, places and premises, apartments or dwelling units being used for the conduct of a variety of illegal activities. These illegal activities include, but are not limited to, the sale of illegal drugs and/or controlled substances; the use of such buildings, structures, premises and places, apartments or dwelling units as crack or drug houses; and the operation and use of such buildings, structures, premises and places, apartments and dwelling units in violation of the Penal Law relating to offenses involving prostitution and the conduct of gambling enterprises.
B. 
The Town Board hereby finds and declares that the use of buildings, structures, premises and places, apartments or dwelling units in the Town for such improper and illegal purposes can and does have a devastating effect on the surrounding community with negative consequences for the public health, safety and welfare. The existence of these public nuisances in occupied and vacant buildings and other premises and places in the Town substantially and seriously interferes with the public interest in maintaining the quality of community life and the total community environment; commerce in the Town; the value of real property in the Town; and the public health, safety and welfare.
C. 
It is therefore the intent and purpose of the Town Board to authorize and empower the Ordinance Enforcement Officer to impose sanctions and penalties for such public nuisances. Further, it is hereby determined that such powers of the Ordinance Enforcement Office may be exercised and administered either in conjunction with or apart from the administration and enforcement of other laws, without prejudice to the use of procedures and remedies available under such other laws.
D. 
The Town Board of the Town of Chenango finds that the sanctions and penalties imposed pursuant to this chapter constitute an additional and appropriate method of law enforcement in response to the occurrence and proliferation of the above-described public nuisances. The sanctions and penalties are hereby determined to be reasonable and necessary in order to protect the public health and safety of the people of the Town of Chenango and to promote the general welfare.
The following definitions shall apply to this chapter:
CONVICTION
Shall be defined and applied in accordance with the provisions of § 1.20 of the Criminal Procedure Law.
ORDINANCE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER
The person charged with the enforcement of all local laws and ordinances of the Town of Chenango, or a designee thereof.
PUBLIC NUISANCE
Any building, structure, place, premises, apartment or dwelling unit where violations of any of provisions of Article 220, Article 221 (controlled substances offenses), Article 225 (gambling offenses) and Article 230 (prostitution offenses)[1] are occurring and where one or more violations of such provisions have resulted in one or more criminal convictions within the eighteen-month period prior to the commencement of a proceeding pursuant to this chapter. It shall be prima facie evidence that violations are occurring where an arrest for violation of any of the provisions of such articles have been made within 30 days prior to the issuance of notice pursuant to this § 48A-4 of this chapter.
[1]
Editor's Note: "Article" references are to the Penal Law.
In addition to the enforcement procedures established elsewhere, the Ordinance Enforcement Officer or his designee, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, shall be authorized to:
A. 
Order the discontinuance of such activities at the building, structure, place, premises, apartment and/or dwelling unit where such public nuisance exists; and/or
B. 
Order the closing of said building, structure, place, premises, apartment and/or dwelling unit to the extent necessary to abate the nuisance as prescribed below.
A. 
Upon written notice to the Ordinance Enforcement Officer that there has been a violation under § 48A-2 of this chapter, the Ordinance Enforcement Officer shall serve notice upon all interested parties that a subsequent violation pursuant to § 48A-2 may result in an action pursuant to § 48A-3 of this chapter.
B. 
Upon written notice to the Ordinance Enforcement Officer that there has been a subsequent violation of § 48A-2, the Ordinance Enforcement Officer or his designee shall give notice and an opportunity for a hearing to all interested parties.
C. 
For the purposes of this chapter, notice shall be given to the owner, lessor, lessee, agent and mortgagee of a building, structure, place, premises, apartment and/or dwelling unit wherein the public nuisance is being conducted, maintained or permitted. Such notice shall be served on the owner pursuant to Article 3 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules; upon the lessor or lessee pursuant to § 735 of the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law and upon the mortgagee by means of certified mail, return receipt requested, sent to the mortgagee's last known address, provided that any service other than delivery to the person to be served shall be complete immediately upon delivery, mailing or posting, without the necessity of filing proof of service with the clerk of any court before the hearing. The person in whose name the real estate affected by the orders of the Ordinance Enforcement Officer is recorded in the records of the Assessor of the Town of Chenango, and shall be presumed to be the owner thereof.
D. 
In the event that notice is served pursuant to Subsections B and C of this section, a copy of the notice shall be posted on the premises involved.
E. 
Lack of knowledge of, acquiescence or participation in or responsibility for a public nuisance on the part of the owners, lessors, lessees, mortgagees and all those persons in possession or having charge of, as an agent or otherwise, or having any interest in the property, real or personal, used in conducting or maintaining the public nuisance, shall not be used as a defense by such owners, lessors, lessees, mortgagees and such other persons.
A. 
Within 10 days of the service of notice pursuant to § 48A-4, at the time and place as contained in said notice, the Ordinance Enforcement Officer or his designee shall commence a hearing for the purpose of determining his action pursuant to § 48A-3. Each person designated in § 48A-4 shall be given an opportunity to present evidence. Testimony shall be taken from other persons with respect to the violations under § 48A-2. A record of the hearing will be maintained.
B. 
At the conclusion of the hearing, the Ordinance Enforcement Officer, or his designee, may issue an appropriate order under § 48A-3 of this chapter. Results of the hearing shall, within 48 hours, be mailed to all persons named in § 48A-4 by means of certified mail, return receipt requested. A copy of said order shall be posted at the premises within 72 hours of the hearing. Five business days after posting of an order issued pursuant to this chapter, the Ordinance Enforcement Officer and/or any other law enforcement officer shall be authorized to act upon and enforce such orders.
A. 
Where the Ordinance Enforcement Officer or his designee orders a closing of a building, structure, place, premises, apartment or dwelling unit pursuant to this chapter, such closing shall be for a period as the Ordinance Enforcement Officer or his designee may direct, but in no event shall the closing be for a period longer than a year from the date of posting of the order pursuant to this section. The owner, lessor or lessee shall file a bond in the amount determined by the Ordinance Enforcement Officer (but which may not exceed the full assessed value of the property ordered to be closed) and submit proof satisfactory to the Ordinance Enforcement Officer that the nuisance has been abated and will not be created, maintained or permitted for such period of time as the closure would have been effective. The Ordinance Enforcement Officer may vacate the provisions of the order directing closure or may modify said order. Notwithstanding the above, however, in the event that any party holding a financial interest in said property comes into title after an order directing closure, and upon submission to the Ordinance Enforcement Officer that said party holds a bona fide title to said property, the Ordinance Enforcement Officer or his designee may vacate any period of time remaining in the original closure order.
B. 
A closing directed by the Ordinance Enforcement Officer pursuant to this section shall not constitute an act of possession, ownership or control by the Town of the closed premises.
C. 
The Ordinance Enforcement Officer shall order all appropriate steps to be taken in the event of closure to completely secure the property from the use during the period of closure. The Ordinance Enforcement Officer shall perform and take all appropriate steps and shall charge the property benefited thereby. In the event that the owners do not promptly reimburse the Town for the necessary steps taken, the Ordinance Enforcement Officer shall report the charges to the Town Board, which shall order an assessment against the property so benefited and/or authorize the Town Attorney to commence immediate procedures through the appropriate court to recover the costs incurred by the Town of Chenango for the closure of the property as against the owner of said property.
A. 
It shall be a violation for any person to use, or occupy or to permit any other person to use or occupy any building, structure, place, premises, apartment or dwelling unit or portion thereof ordered closed by the Ordinance Enforcement Officer or to mutilate, deface or remove a posted order of the Ordinance Enforcement Officer. Such violation shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000 or a term of imprisonment not to exceed 15 days, or both, provided that such order contains a notice of such penalty.
B. 
The person who intentionally or willfully disobeys or resists any provision of the orders issued by the Ordinance Enforcement Officer pursuant to this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000 or imprisonment not to exceed six months, or both.