[CC 1991 §245.020; CC 1970 §21-17; Ord. No. 88 §1, 7-25-1949]
It shall be unlawful for any owner, lessee or occupant or any agent, servant, representative or employee of any such owner, lessee or occupant having control of any occupied lot or land or any part thereof in the City to permit or maintain on any such lot or land or on or along the sidewalk, street or alley adjacent to the same between the property line and the curb or middle of the alley or for ten (10) feet outside the property line if there be no curb any growth of weeds, grass or other rank vegetation to a greater height or length than twelve (12) inches on the average or any accumulation of dead weeds, grass or brush. It shall also be unlawful for any such person or persons to cause, suffer or allow poison ivy, ragweed or other poisonous plants or plants detrimental to health to grow on any such lot or land in such manner that any part of such ivy, ragweed or other poisonous or harmful weed shall extend upon, overhang or border any public place or allow seed, pollen or other poisonous particles or emanations therefrom to be carried through the air into any public place.
A. 
Unlawful To Maintain Such Nuisance. It shall be unlawful for any person to create or maintain a nuisance as defined in Section 220.350.
B. 
Liability. Whenever weeds, high grass or other vegetation in violation of Subsection (A) of this Section are allowed to grow on any part of any lot or ground within the City, the owner of the ground or, in case of joint tenancy, tenancy by entireties or tenancy in common, each owner thereof shall be liable.
C. 
Notice. The Building Commissioner shall give a hearing after four (4) days' notice thereof either personally or by United States mail to the owner or owners, or the owner's agents, or by posting such notice on the premises; thereupon, the Building Commissioner may declare the weeds, high grass or other vegetation to be a nuisance and order the same to be abated within five (5) days.
D. 
Disposition. In case the weeds, high grass or other vegetation are not cut down and removed within the five (5) days, the Building Commissioner shall have the weeds, high grass or other vegetation cut down and removed and shall certify the costs of same to the City Clerk.
E. 
Tax Bill. The City Clerk shall cause the certified cost to be included in a special tax bill or added to the annual real estate tax bill, at his/her option, for the property and the certified cost shall be collected by the Collector, or other official collecting taxes, in the same manner and procedure for collecting real estate taxes; and the tax bill from the date of its issuance shall be a first (1st) lien on the property until paid and shall be prima facie evidence of the recitals therein and of its validity, and no mere clerical error or informality in the same, or in the proceedings leading up to the issuance, shall be a defense thereto. Each special tax bill shall be issued by the City Clerk and delivered to the Collector on or before the first (1st) day of June of each year. Such tax bills if not paid when due shall bear interest at the rate of eight percent (8%) per annum.
F. 
If weeds are allowed to grow, or if trash is allowed to accumulate, on the same property in violation of this Section more than once during the same growing season in the case of weeds, or more than once during a calendar year in the case of trash, the marshal or other designated official may, without further notification, have the weeds or trash removed and the cost of the same shall be billed in the manner described in this Section. This Subsection does not apply to lands owned by a public utility and lands, rights-of-way, and easements appurtenant or incidental to lands controlled by any railroad.
[Ord. No. 910 §§1 — 2, 2006]
A. 
As of May 1, 2006, all property owners and/or occupants of residential property within the City of Pine Law, Missouri, shall be responsible for the maintenance of vegetation within three (3) feet of their fence, even if same abuts a vacant property or public easement. It shall not be the responsibility of a property owner to maintain the vegetation of abutting occupied property.
B. 
Any person who violates this Section shall be fined no more than fifty dollars ($50.00) for each violation. Each day after a person is in violation of this Section shall be deemed a separate violation.
[Ord. No. 2009-22 §§1 — 8, 4-14-2009]
A. 
This Section shall be known and may be cited as the "Weed to Tree Ordinance" of the City of Pine Lawn, Missouri. The general purpose of this Section is to exercise the City's Police power for the benefit of the public health, safety and welfare; to provide enforcement mechanisms and the abatement and collection of abatement expenses by the City, and to these ends this Section shall be liberally construed.
B. 
This Section shall be enforced for the benefit of the health, safety and welfare of the general public, not for the benefit of any particular person or class of persons.
C. 
It is the intent of this Section to place the obligation of complying with its requirements upon the owner or occupier of the land and buildings within the scope of this Section. No provision or term used in this Section is intended to impose any duty upon the City or any of its officers, officials and employees which would subject them to damages in a civil action.
D. 
Definitions used in this Section shall have the following meanings, unless an additional meaning clearly appears from the context:
OCCUPANT
Any person occupying or having possession of property or any portion thereof.
OWNER
Any person who, alone or with others, has title or interest in property with or without accompanying actual possession thereof and including any person who as agent or as executor, administrator, trustee or guardian of an estate has charge, care or control of any property.
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, corporation, trust, unincorporated or incorporated association, marital community, joint venture, governmental entity or other entity or group of persons however organized.
PROPERTY
A specific parcel or parcels, platted or unplatted, of land or real estate.
E. 
Property owners or occupants that allow weeds to grow into trees on the property they have an interest in shall be declared a nuisance within the City of Pine Lawn.
F. 
It is the duty of the owner of property and of any occupant of the property wherein or whereon any nuisance exists to abate the nuisance by destroying, removing or trimming vegetation and removing or destroying any health, safety or fire hazard and to remove all shrubs, bushes, trees or vegetation growing or which has grown and died which is a fire hazard or is infested with caterpillars or other horticultural pests or which otherwise constitute a menace to the public health, safety or welfare.
G. 
It shall be unlawful to allow a nuisance to exist on property that you either own or occupy in the City of Pine Lawn, particularly allowing a weed to grow into a tree or above twelve (12) inches in height.
H. 
Any violation of this Section may result in a penalty of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) and/or imprisonment of ninety (90) days.