Township of Wyckoff, NJ Removal of Snow and Grass

The owner or owners, tenant or tenants of any lands abutting upon the public streets of the Township of Wyckoff shall remove all snow and ice from the abutting sidewalks of such public streets within 12 hours of daylight after the same shall fall or be formed thereon.

The enforcement of this section shall only commence upon written order of the Chief of Police of the Wyckoff Police Department. Before issuing such order, the Chief of Police shall consider the effect of the severity and amount of any snow fall upon the reasonable opportunity for the owner or owners or tenant or tenants of any land to remove snow and ice from the abutting sidewalk and the reasonable opportunity for the Township of Wyckoff to remove snow and ice from sidewalks abutting municipally owned land.

[Added 2-20-2001 by Ord. No. 1379]

§ 165-1.1 Snowplow operations; violations and penalties.

[Added 1-17-2012 by Ord. No. 1674]

The operator of any snowplow, or other snow removal equipment, clearing accumulated snow on private property shall not deposit, or cause to be deposited, such snow on any public road, street or highway, sidewalk, public right-of-way, or on private property other than the property on which the snow had accumulated. An operator of any snowplow or other snow removal equipment who fails to comply with the provisions of this section shall be liable for a fine of $250 for the first offense, and for each subsequent offense, a fine of $500.

§ 165-2 Removal of grass by owners or tenants of property.

The owner or owners, tenant or tenants of any lands abutting upon the public streets of the Township of Wyckoff shall remove from the abutting entire sidewalk area of said public streets all grass, weeds and other impediments over six inches in height within three days after service of written notice to remove the same as hereinafter provided in § 165-3.

§ 165-3 Notice to remove grass and weeds.

The written notice heretofore provided in § 165-2 shall be prepared by the Road Supervisor or officer or employee having charge of the streets of the Township of Wyckoff and shall identify the said lands abutting the sidewalks as hereinbefore provided and shall contain a statement identifying such grass, weeds or other impediments to be removed as hereinbefore set forth in this article. Said written notice shall also contain a statement that the owner or owners of said land may be assessed the cost of said removal as aforesaid if the owner or owners, tenant or tenants neglect so to do within the time limit in said notice. Said notice shall also contain a statement that the violation of the terms of this article by the owner or owners, tenant or tenants is punishable by a fine or imprisonment, or both.

Said notice may be served upon the owner or owners and tenant or tenants personally or mailed to the owner or owners and tenant or tenants at the last known post office address appearing on the tax books of the Township of Wyckoff.

§ 165-4 Removal of snow or grass by Township; lien for costs.

Whenever the owner or owners, tenant or tenants of lands abutting upon the public streets of the Township of Wyckoff shall neglect or refuse to remove said snow and ice from the abutting sidewalk of said public streets within 12 hours of daylight after the same shall fall or be formed thereon, as required by the provisions of § 165-1, or shall neglect or refuse to remove such grass, weeds or other impediments within three days after service of written notice to remove the same as required by the provisions of § 165-2, then it shall be the duty of the Road Supervisor or officer or employees having charge of the streets of the Township of Wyckoff to remove such snow, ice, grass, weeds or other impediments as required by the aforesaid sections of this article; and the cost of the removal of such snow, ice, grass, weeds or impediments shall be certified by such Road Supervisor or officer or employee to the Township Committee.

Said Township Committee shall examine said certificate and, if found to be correct, shall, by resolution, cause such cost to be charged against the lands so abutting upon such sidewalk; and such amount so charged shall thereupon become a lien and tax upon such real estate as aforesaid and shall be added to and become and form part of the taxes then next to be levied and assessed thereon, the same to bear interest at the same rate as taxes, and shall be collected and enforced by the Collector of Taxes and in the same manner as other taxes.

§ 165-5 Violations and penalties.

[Amended 7-18-1978 by Ord. No. 774; 6-19-1984 by Ord. No. 927; 2-16-1993 by Ord. No. 1158]

Any such owner or owners, tenant or tenants of any lands abutting upon sidewalks of the public streets of the Township of Wyckoff who shall neglect or refuse to remove all snow, ice, grass, weeds, leaves, or other impediments therefrom as aforesaid and as required by the provisions of §§ 165-1 and 165-2 shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $500 or to imprisonment for a term not to exceed 90 days, or both.

§ 165-6 Coexistence of penalties and costs of removal.

The imposition and collecting of the fine or penalty imposed by the provisions of § 165-5 shall not constitute any bar to the right of the Township of Wyckoff to collect the cost as certified for the removal of such snow, ice, grass, weeds or other impediments in the manner hereinabove authorized.

§ 165-6.1 Notice to remove grass, weeds, brush and other impediments from public highways.

[Added 10-18-1988 by Ord. No. 1047]

Every owner or owners, tenant or tenants of lands abutting or bordering upon every public highway in the Township of Wyckoff shall remove or cut all grass, weeds, brush or other impediments from that part of said public highways abutting or bordering upon their respective lands within 10 days after notice, in writing, to remove or cut the same shall have been served personally upon such owner or owners, tenant or tenants or by mailing said notice to the residence or post office address of said owner or owners, tenant or tenants by certified mail.

§ 165-6.2 Failure to remove; performance of work by Township; assessment of costs.

[Added 10-18-1988 by Ord. No. 1047]

In case any such owner or owners, tenant or tenants shall refuse or neglect to remove or cut such grass, weeds, brush or other impediments from the part of the public highway bordering or abutting on their respective lands within 10 days after notice to remove the same, then the same may be removed by or under the direction of the Township Administrator; and the cost of the removal of such grass, weeds, brush or other impediments shall be paid by the owner or owners, tenant or tenants upon such certification of the cost thereof to the Township Committee of the Township of Wyckoff. If the cost thereof shall be charged against the lands abutting or bordering said public highway the amount so charged shall forthwith become a lien on such lands and shall be added to and shall become and form part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon such lands, the same to bear interest at the same rates as taxes, and is to be collected and enforced by the same officers and in the same manner as taxes.