Where it shall be necessary and expedient for the preservation of the public health, safety, general welfare or to eliminate a fire hazard, an owner or tenant in possession of land in the Township is hereby required to remove from such land brush, weeds, dead and dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growths, filth, garbage, trash, debris, junk and disabled vehicles or parts thereof. A disabled vehicle is one that is unregistered or incapable of operation upon a public roadway.
The Director of Public Works or the Code Enforcement Officer shall notify the owner or tenant of lands, whereon exists such brush, weeds, dead and dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growths, filth, garbage, trash, debris, junk or disabled vehicles, to remove the same within 10 days after such notice, and in the event that the owner or tenant shall have refused or neglected to do so within the time provided, the same shall be removed by the Township under the direction of the Director of Public Works.
In all cases where brush, weeds, dead and dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growths, filth, garbage, trash, debris, junk or disabled vehicles are removed from any lands by virtue hereof, the Director of Public Works shall certify the cost of the removal to the Township Council which shall examine such certificate and, if found correct, shall cause the cost as shown thereon to be charged against the lands, and the amount so charged shall forthwith become a lien upon such lands and shall be added to and become and form a 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.
In those cases where disabled vehicles are removed by virtue hereof, such vehicles shall be removed at the direction of the Director of Public Works, Code Enforcement Officer or police officer of the Township of Howell Police Department by an authorized towing operator and stored at the operator's premises. The storage and disposal of such vehicles shall be in accordance with Title 39 of the Revised Statutes of the State of New Jersey.