It shall be unlawful for any owner or owners, occupant or occupants,
tenant or tenants of any lot or tract of land situate within the Township
of Mount Laurel to permit or maintain on any such lot or tract of land any
brush, weeds, dead or dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growth, filth,
garbage, trash and debris injurious to the public health, safety and general
welfare or where the same shall tend to create a fire hazard. This chapter
shall not be construed to apply to those lands under cultivation or otherwise
being utilized for the production of crops or otherwise being utilized for
agricultural purposes.
[Amended 10-1-1984 by Ord. No. 1984-33]
Any owner or owners, occupant or occupants, tenant or tenants who shall
neglect to cut and remove or otherwise destroy such brush, weeds, dead or
dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growth, filth, garbage, trash and debris
as directed by this article shall, upon conviction before the Judge of the
Municipal Court of the Township of Mount Laurel, be subject, for each offense,
to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding
90 days, or to both such fine and imprisonment.
Upon the failure of any owner or owners, occupant or occupants, tenant
or tenants to cut and remove or otherwise destroy such brush, weeds, dead
or dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growth, filth, garbage, trash and
debris within 10 days after notice to remove the same has been received from
said Township of Mount Laurel, which notice may be effected by personal service
or by mail, registered return receipt requested, said township shall cause
the same to be removed under the direction of the Director of the Department
of Public Works of said township. The notice shall be prepared and forwarded
by the Township Clerk upon the direction of the Director. Said Director shall
certify the cost thereof to the Township Council which shall examine the certificate
and, if found correct, shall cause the cost as shown thereon to be charged
against said land and premises, and the cost shall be added to and become
and form part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon the land, 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.
The imposition and collection of the fine imposed by this article shall
not constitute any bar to the right of the Township of Mount Laurel to collect
the cost, as certified, for the removal of such growths, in the manner herein
authorized.