Wharfage and dockage shall be charged at the rate of $2 for each day or part of day a barge, lighter, sailing vessel, schooner, steamboat, tanker or other ship or vessel shall be made fast to any public dock, pier, wharf or bulkhead or shall be made fast to any ship or vessel lying at any such waterfront property or to any other ship or vessel lying outside thereof and made fast thereto.
Every such vessel occupying a berth next to and engaged in delivering cargo upon a public dock, wharf, pier or bulkhead or receiving cargo therefrom shall pay wharfage and dockage at the rate of $10 for each day or part of day while so engaged.
The Commissioner of Public Works shall certify to the Comptroller the amount of such wharfage and dockage for collection.
The Commissioner of Public Works shall have power, upon the filing of an application together with a liability insurance policy indemnifying the City against all claims for injury to person or property, in an amount to be fixed by the Commissioner of Public Works, which policy of insurance is to be approved as to form and validity by the Corporation Counsel, in his discretion, to issue a revocable permit for the storage of nonperishable cargo, including sand, gravel or similar material, on such parts of public docks, piers or wharves of the City as may be designated by him. Such parts of the public docks, piers or wharves shall be so located as not to obstruct unreasonably the use of the public docks, piers or wharves. The permit to be issued by the Commissioner of Public Works shall provide for the payment to the City of a fee of $5 per day for each day or part of a day that such cargo is stored on any public dock, pier or wharf of the City.
All wharfage, extra wharfage and storage fees shall be collected by the Comptroller of the City and shall be credited to revenues of the Department of Public Works.
The owner and consignees of any cargo shall be liable for the payment of the wharfage, extra wharfage and storage fees provided for in this chapter.
The provisions of this chapter shall not control the charges to be paid by ferry companies organized according to law for the transportation of passengers and freight across the Hudson River or for steamboats making regular trips and landings at the City dock. Said charges shall be fixed by the City Council.
Whenever tractors shall be used in loading or discharging vessels lying at said wharves or docks, $1 for each day and $0.50 for half of a day or less shall be paid therefor as extra wharfage, and such extra wharfage shall be due and payable each day, in advance. Such day shall commence and terminate at sunrise.
If a cargo or any portion thereof shall be left on any such wharves or docks for more than five days, the owner, lessee or wharfinger may, at option, remove such cargo and store the same.
The expenses of such removal, storage and wharfage shall be a lien upon the cargo, to be collected from the owners or consignees thereof before the same shall be delivered to them.
All vessels discharging coal or other cargo in bulk, or ballast, gravel or dirt, or receiving the same, shall have good and sufficient covering and protection extending from the vessel to the wharf to keep such cargo or ballast from falling into the water between the vessel and the dock.
No vessel shall discharge ballast, shells, dirt or other rubbish on any wharf.
No person shall throw stones, ashes, dirt or other rubbish in the slips or docks to the detriment or injury of the slips or docks.
The captain or owner of any vessel that shall leave a wharf without paying for the wharfage due thereon and shall neglect to pay the same for 24 hours after it is demanded of the captain, owner or consignee shall forfeit and pay to the owners or lessees of the wharf double the rates of wharfage hereby established.
The owner, lessee or wharfinger shall have the power to fix the place where vessels may lie to load or discharge and when and where such vessels shall move when not loading or discharging or when such loading or discharging is completed. In case any vessel is not moved when the captain or the person in charge thereof is so directed to move the same or in the absence from such vessel of any person in charge, the owner, lessee or wharfinger shall have the power to place men on board and move such vessel. The expense consequent upon such removal shall be and become a charge as extra wharfage.
The respective owners and lessees of docks and wharves shall keep the same in good order and suitable condition.
The owners, lessees and wharfingers shall have the right and power to regulate and direct as to the manner of loading and discharging and carting to and from the wharves and docks.