It shall be unlawful for any owner, occupant or tenant of any lot or
tract of land situated within the borough 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.
Any owner, occupant or tenant 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 chapter shall be subject to the penalty in Chapter
1, General Provisions, Article
II, Penalties.
[Amended by Ord. No. 1981-8]
A. Upon the failure of any owner, occupant or tenant to
cut and remove, or otherwise destroy, such brush, weeds, dead or dying trees,
stumps, roots, obnoxious growth, filth, garbage, trash and debris, or unsightly
high grass, within 10 days after notice to remove the same has been received
from the borough, which notice may be effected by personal service or by registered
mail, return receipt requested, the borough may cause the same to be removed
under the direction of an officer of the borough, or may bring a complaint
against the owner in the municipal court. The borough shall be required to
give only one ten-day notice to remove during any calendar year, it being
presumed that the owner, upon receiving one notice, will be made aware of
the municipal requirements, and subsequent regrowth in any calendar year shall
not entitle the owner to additional warning notices. Should there be a transfer
of ownership of property within the calendar year, the new owner shall also
be entitled to the one annual notice, even if one had been sent during the
calendar year to the previous owner.
B. If removal is done under the direction of an officer
of the borough, the officer shall certify the cost thereof to the council
which shall examine the certificate and, if found correct, shall cause the
cost as shown thereon the be charged against the land and premises and shall
be added to and become 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 chapter shall
not constitute any bar to the right of the borough to collect the cost as
certified for the removal of such growths in the manner herein authorized.