When the Township Committee of the Township of Independence, in the
County of Warren, shall determine it necessary and expedient for the preservation
of the public health, safety, general welfare or to eliminate a fire hazard,
every owner or tenant of lands lying within the limits of the Township of
Independence, in the County of Warren, shall be required to remove from such
lands brush, weeds, dead and dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growths,
filth, garbage, trash and debris within 10 days after notice to remove the
same.
In the event the owner or tenant, within 10 days after notice to said
owner or tenant, shall refuse or neglect to remove same, the Supervisor of
Roads may provide for the removal from such lands of brush, weeds, dead and
dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growths, filth, garbage, trash and debris,
under the direction of the Supervisor of Roads.
In all cases where brush, weeds, dead and dying trees, stumps, roots,
obnoxious growths, filth, garbage, trash and debris are removed from any lands
by or under the direction of the Supervisor of Roads, such Supervisor of Roads
shall certify the cost thereof to the governing body, which shall examine
the certificate and, if found correct, shall cause the cost as shown thereon
to be charged against said lands; the amount so charged shall forthwith 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 such lands, the same to bear interest
at the same rate as taxes, and shall be collected and enforced by the same
officers and in the same manner as taxes.
[Amended 12-10-1984 by Ord. No. 84-11]
Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this chapter or
who shall refuse or neglect to remove from such lands brush, weeds, dead and
dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growth, filth, garbage, trash and debris
within the time herein provided, upon conviction, shall be subject to a
minimum fine of $100 and a maximum penalty of one or more of the following:
a fine not exceeding $2,000, imprisonment not exceeding 90 days or a period
of community service not exceeding 90 days. Except as otherwise provided,
each and every day in which a violation of any provision of this chapter exists
shall constitute a separate violation.