[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Camden
4-9-1987 by Ord. No. MC-2289 as Ch. 159 of the 1987 Code. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
The growth, existence or presence of ragweed or poison ivy on
any plot of land, lot, street, highway, right-of-way or any other
public or private place is hereby declared to be a nuisance and detrimental
to public health.
No owner, tenant or occupant of any plot of land, lot, street,
highway, right-of-way or any other public or private place shall cause,
allow or permit ragweed or poison ivy to grow or exist thereon.
A.
Whenever a nuisance, as declared by this article, is found on any
plot of land, lot, right-of-way or any other private premises or place,
notice in writing shall be given to the owner thereof to remove or
abate the same within such time as shall be specified therein, but
not less than five days from the date of service thereof. A duplicate
of the notice shall be left with one or more of the tenants or occupants
of the premises or place.
B.
If the owner resides out of the state or cannot be so notified speedily,
such notice shall be left at that place or premises with the tenant
or occupant thereof or posted on the premises, and such action shall
be considered proper notification to the owner, tenant or occupant
thereof.
Whenever a nuisance, as declared by this article, is found on
any public property or any highway or any other public premises or
place, notice, in writing, shall be given to the person in charge
thereof to remove or abate the same within such time as shall be specified
therein. If such person fails to comply with such notice within the
time specified therein, the Health Officer may remove or abate such
nuisance in the manner as hereinafter provided in the case of a like
condition existing on a private premises or place.
If the owner, tenant or occupant, upon being notified as provided by § 232-3, shall not comply with such notice within the time specified therein and fails to remove or abate such nuisance, the Health Officer of the City shall proceed to abate the nuisance or may cause it to be removed or abated in a summary manner by such means as he shall deem proper.
The Health Officer of the City may institute an action at law
to recover costs incurred by it in the removal or abatement of ragweed
or poison ivy from any person who shall have caused or allowed such
nuisance to exist or from any owner, tenant or occupant of premises
who, after notice as provided in this article, shall fail to remove
and abate the same within the time specified in such notice.
[Amended 4-9-1987 by Ord. No. MC-2289; 12-10-2019 by Ord. No. MC-5232]
Subject to the direction of the Director of the Camden County
Health Department, the provisions of this article shall be enforced
by the agents and employees of said Department.
[Amended 4-9-1987 by Ord. No. MC-2289]
Any person who violates any provision of this article shall,
upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine not exceeding $1,000
or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Includes brush, weeds, dead or dying trees, stumps, roots,
obnoxious growths, filth, garbage, trash or other debris.
This article is enacted for the preservation of the public health,
safety and general welfare and the elimination of fire hazards within
the limits of the City.
[Amended 1-12-1978 by Ord. No. MC-1295]
A.
Whenever any employee of the City of Camden who is charged with the
duty of making an inspection for the purpose of health, housing and
sanitation shall find upon any lot, yard, land or premises any brush,
weeds, debris, hazard or nuisance to such an extent as, in his opinion,
is inimical to the public health, general safety and welfare of the
City or to such an extent as to constitute a fire hazard and nuisance,
he shall report said violation to the Director of Public Works, who
shall cause written notice to be given to the owner, tenant, occupier
or holder of any mortgage of said premises to remove therefrom such
brush, weeds, debris, hazard or nuisance, in the manner set forth
therein, within three days of service of notice.
[Amended 10-24-1991 by Ord. No. MC-2697; 10-14-2004 by Ord. No.
MC-3992]
B.
If, in the opinion of the Director of Public Works, the brush, weeds, debris, hazard or nuisance constitutes a situation where immediate action is necessary, the Director of Public Works or his appointee shall give notice to the owner, tenant, occupier or the holder of any mortgage on said premises that the City determines that this situation does constitute a threat to the public health, safety and welfare and shall order the situation to be corrected immediately, and the owner of said property shall be billed for the costs incurred by the City of Camden as set forth in § 232-13 of this article.
[Amended 10-24-1991 by Ord. No. MC-2697]
C.
Service of any such notice shall be made upon the owner, tenant,
occupant or holder of any mortgage on said premises either personally
or by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested.
[Amended 1-12-1978 by Ord. No. MC-1295]
A.
Whenever, after notice has been given as provided in § 232-11 hereof, the owner, tenant, occupant or holder of mortgage shall have refused or neglected to remove such brush, weeds, debris, hazard or nuisance in the manner and within the three-day period prescribed in § 232-11A, the Director of Public Works or his appointee shall thereupon cause to be removed from such lands said brush, weeds, debris, hazard or nuisance and certify to the Business Administrator the cost of removal thereof.
[Amended 10-24-1991 by Ord. No. MC-2697; 10-14-2004 by Ord. No.
MC-3992]
B.
Said Business Administrator or his appointee shall forthwith certify
to the Council the cost of removal thereof. The Council shall examine
the certificate and, if it finds the certificate to be correct, shall,
by resolution, cause the amount of the costs as shown upon the certificate
to be charged against said lands.
C.
The amount so charged shall become a lien upon such lands and shall
be added to and become and form part of the taxes next to be assessed,
levied and collected upon such lands. The amount of such charge or
lien shall bear interest at the same rate as taxes and shall be collected
and enforced by the Collector of Taxes in the City in the same manner
as general taxes.
