It shall be the duty and responsibility of the
owner and/or operator of premises in the Township to maintain the
exterior of such premises in accordance with the provisions hereinafter
set forth.
The exterior of the premises and all structures
thereon shall be kept free of all nuisances and any hazards to the
safety of occupants, pedestrians and other persons utilizing the premises
and shall be kept free of unsanitary conditions, and any of the foregoing
shall be promptly removed and abated by the owner or operator. It
shall be the duty of the owner or operator to keep the premises free
from hazards, which include but are not limited to the following:
A.
Rubbish: brush, weeds, broken glass, stumps, roots,
obnoxious growths, filth, garbage, trash, refuse and debris.
B.
Natural growth: dead and dying trees and limbs or
other natural growth which, by reason of rotting or deteriorating
condition or storm damage, constitutes a hazard to persons in the
vicinity thereof. Trees shall be kept pruned and trimmed to prevent
such condition. The Township's Certified Arborist/Forester shall be
empowered to inspect and notify property owners or operators of any
violations of this subsection and to ensure that such violations are
abated.
[Amended 4-28-2011 by Ord. No. 12-11]
C.
Overhangings: loose and overhanging objects and accumulations
of ice and snow which, by reason of location above ground level, constitute
a danger of falling on persons in the vicinity thereof.
D.
Ground surface hazards and unsanitary conditions:
holes, excavations, breaks, projections, obstructions, icy conditions,
uncleared snow and excretions of pets and other animals on paths,
sidewalks, curbs, driveways and other parts of the premises which
are accessible to and are used by persons on the premises.
A.
In the particular case of sidewalks and curbs, it
shall be the duty and responsibility of the owner of property on which
and along which sidewalks and curbs are located to keep such sidewalks
and curbs in a proper condition of maintenance and good repair, including
but not limited to a condition whereby such sidewalks and curbs are
free of obstruction, debris, cracks and crevices or other unsafe conditions.
B.
If, in the judgment of the Building Inspector, any
sidewalks or curbs affected by this chapter shall fall into a state
of disrepair as aforesaid, then the Building Inspector shall, upon
the passage of a resolution by the Township Committee, cause a notice,
in writing, to be served upon the owner of said property, requiring
the necessary specified work to said sidewalks and curbs to be done
within a period of not less than 30 days from the date of service
of said notice.
C.
Whenever the property so affected is unoccupied and
the owner cannot be found within the Township, the notice may be mailed
to his or her post office address if the same can be ascertained.
In case the owner is a nonresident of the Township or his or her post
office address cannot be ascertained, then the notice may be inserted
for four weeks, once a week in a newspaper published in the county
and circulating in the Township.
D.
In case the owner of such property shall not comply
with the requirements of such notice, the Department of Public Works,
Buildings and Grounds and Park Maintenance, upon the filing by the
Building Inspector of a proof of service or publication of the aforesaid
notice with the Township Committee, shall cause the required work
to be done and paid for out of the municipal funds available for that
purpose.
[Amended 4-8-2010 by Ord. No. 12-10]
E.
The cost of such work shall be certified by the Department
of Public Works, Buildings and Grounds and Park Maintenance to the
Tax Collector. Upon filing said certificate, the amount of the cost
of such work shall be and become a lien upon said abutting lands in
front of which such work was done, to the same extent that assessments
for local improvements are liens in such municipality under its charter
or the general law, and shall be collected in the manner provided
by law for the collection of such other assessments and shall bear
interest at the same rate.
[Amended 4-8-2010 by Ord. No. 12-10]
F.
In addition thereto, the Township may have an action
to recover the said amount against the owner of said lands in any
court having competent jurisdiction thereof.
G.
A certified copy of the aforesaid certificate shall,
in such action, be prima facie evidence of the existence of a debt
due from said owner to the Township.
Adequate runoff drains shall be provided and
maintained to eliminate any such recurrence or excessive accumulation
of storm waste. Said stormwaters shall not be drained to streets or
parking or walking areas.
No inoperable or currently unregistered or uninspected
motor vehicle shall be parked, stored or left on any property, except
inside of a garage or enclosed building, for more than one week.
[Amended 4-13-2023 by Ord. No. 9-2023]
A.
The landscaping of all premises shall be properly maintained, with
lawns, hedges and bushes kept trimmed and from becoming overgrown
and unsightly.
B.
Bamboo restrictions.
(1)
Bamboo defined. As used in this section, the term "bamboo" shall
mean those plant species commonly known as "running" (monopodial)
or "clumping" (sympodial) bamboo, including but not limited to the
following plant genera:
(2)
Prohibition of planting bamboo. Effective upon the date that this
provision shall become law, the planting of bamboo outdoors shall
be prohibited within the Township of Hanover. This prohibition shall
include both in-ground and aboveground planting, whether planted in
a container or not. Any person who thereafter plants, or allows to
be planted, bamboo within the Township shall be deemed to be in violation
of this chapter, and shall be subject to such penalties as are set
forth in this chapter.
(3)
Regulations regarding preexisting bamboo.
(a)
Any bamboo which has been planted or otherwise permitted to
grow on any property within the Township of Hanover prior to the effective
date of this section may remain on such property.
(b)
Any bamboo either planted or caused to be planted or existing
on a property prior to the effective date of this chapter may not
be replanted or replaced in kind once such bamboo is or has become,
for any reason, dead, destroyed, uprooted, or otherwise removed.
(c)
The foregoing allowance of existing bamboo to remain shall not
be construed to bar any civil action in a court of law by any affected
party for damages or other relief relating to such existing bamboo.
[Added 8-14-1986 by Ord. No. 25-86]
A.
The parking of any motor vehicle by an owner, occupant
or operator on the lawn of any residential property is strictly prohibited.
All signs and billboards exposed to public view
and permitted by reason of other regulations or as a lawful nonconforming
use shall be maintained in good repair. Any signs which have become
excessively peeled or cracked shall, with their supporting members,
be removed forthwith or put into a good state of repair. All nonoperative
or broken electrical signs shall be repaired or shall, with their
supporting members, be removed forthwith.
Any awning or marquee, and its accompanying
structural members, which extends over any street, sidewalk or other
portion of the premises shall be maintained in good repair and shall
not constitute a nuisance or a safety hazard. In the event that such
awnings or marquees are not properly maintained in accordance with
the foregoing, they shall, together with their supporting members,
be removed forthwith. In the event that said awnings or marquees are
made of cloth, plastic or similar materials, said cloth or plastic,
where exposed to public view, shall be maintained in good condition
and shall not show evidence of excessive weathering, deterioration,
ripping, tearing or other holes.
All display windows exposed to public view shall
be kept clean and free of marks or foreign substances, except when
necessary in the course of changing displays. All screening of the
interior shall be maintained in a clean and attractive manner and
in a good state of repair.
All signs in display windows or otherwise exposed
to public view from the interior of premises and which are permitted
by reason of other regulations or as a lawful nonconforming use shall
be maintained in good repair. Any signs which have excessively cracked
or are otherwise in a state of disrepair or deterioration shall be
removed forthwith or put into a good state of repair.
All storefronts shall be kept in good repair
and painted, where required, and shall not constitute a safety hazard
or nuisance. In the event that repairs to a storefront become necessary,
such repairs shall be made with the same or similar materials used
in the construction of the storefront in such a manner as to permanently
repair the damaged area or areas. Any cornice visible above a storefront
shall be kept painted, where required, and in good repair.
All reconstruction of walls and sidings shall
be of standard quality and appearance commensurate with the character
of the properties in the same block and on both sides of the street
on which the premises fronts, such that the materials used will not
be of a kind that by their appearance under prevailing appraisal practices
and standards will depreciate the values of neighboring and adjoining
premises as aforesaid.
The exterior of every structure or accessory
structure, including fences, roofs and gutters, shall be maintained
in good repair, and all surfaces thereof shall be kept painted, when
necessary, for the purpose of preservation and appearance. The same
shall be maintained free of broken glass, loose shingles, crumbling
stone or brick, excessive peeling paint or other conditions reflective
of deterioration or inadequate maintenance, to the end that the property
itself may be preserved, safety and fire hazards eliminated and the
adjoining properties and the neighborhood protected from blighting
influences.
Every structure and accessory structure and
every part thereof shall be kept structurally sound and in a state
of good repair to avoid safety, health or fire hazards, including
but not limited to the following:
A.
Foundation walls. Foundation walls shall be kept structurally
sound, free from defects and damage and capable of bearing imposed
loads safely.
B.
Basements and cellars. Basements, cellars and crawl
spaces of rented or commercial buildings are to be kept free of accumulations
of water resulting from seepage. Pumps shall be required where necessary
to prevent accumulations of moisture and dampness.
C.
Chimneys and all flue and vent attachments. Chimneys,
and all flue and vent attachments thereto, shall be maintained structurally
sound, free from defects and so maintained as to perform capably at
all times the functions for which they were designed. Chimneys, flues,
gas vents or other draft-producing equipment shall provide sufficient
draft to develop the rated output, and the connected equipment shall
be structurally safe, durable, smoketight and capable of withstanding
the action of flue gases.
D.
Exterior porches, landings, balconies, stairs and
fire escapes. Exterior porches, landings, balconies, stairs and fire
escapes shall be provided with banisters or railings properly designed
and maintained to minimize the hazard of falling, and the same shall
be kept structurally sound and in good repair and free from defects.
This provision shall not apply to exterior porches which are less
than three feet in height.
Exterior walls, roofs, windows, window frames,
doors, door-frame foundations, siding and other parts of the structure
shall be so maintained as to keep water from entering the structure
and to prevent excessive drafts. Damaged materials must be repaired
or replaced promptly. Places showing signs of rot, leakage, deterioration,
or corrosion are to be restored and protected against weathering or
seepage.
All parts of the dwellings and structures shall
be kept in a clean and sanitary condition, free of nuisances and free
from health, safety and fire hazards.
Storage bins, rooms and areas shall not be used
for accumulated garbage or refuse. Flammable or combustible liquids
or other materials may not be stored on the premises unless they are
of a type approved for storage by the regulations of the Fire Department,
and then onlky in such quantities and in such fireproof storage containers
as may be prescribed by the regulations.
