[Ord. No. 625 §700.135, 6-25-1996; Ord. No. 791 §§1 — 2, 8-25-2015; Ord. No. 924, 2-8-2024]
A.
Failure To Keep Weeds, High Grass And Other Vegetation Cut And Removed, A Nuisance. All persons owning or occupying any lot or tract of land in the City shall keep the weeds, high grass and other vegetation growing on such property cut and removed. Whenever such weeds, high grass or other vegetation shall attain the height of fifteen (15) inches, it shall be deemed a public nuisance.
B.
Unlawful To Maintain Such Nuisance. It shall be unlawful for any person to create or maintain a nuisance as defined in Subsection (A). Failure to abate nuisance after notice and hearing shall be a misdemeanor.
C.
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 occupant of the lot, or owner of the ground or, in case of joint tenancy, tenancy by entireties or tenancy in common, each owner thereof shall be liable.
D.
Notice. The Presiding Municipal Judge or other City Official shall give a hearing after ten (10) days' notice thereof either personally or by United States Mail to the owner or owners, or his/her or their agents, or by posting such notice on the premises; thereupon the Chief of Police may declare the weeds, high grass or other vegetation to be a nuisance and order the same to be abated within five (5) days.
E.
Disposition. In case the weeds, or the heavy grass or other vegetation are not cut down and removed within the five (5) days, the Presiding Municipal Judge or other City Official shall direct a City Official to have the weeds, high grass or other vegetation cut down and removed and shall certify the costs of same to the City Clerk.
F.
Tax Bill. The City Clerk shall cause a special tax bill therefor against the property to be prepared and to be collected by the Collector with other taxes assessed against the property; and the tax bill from the date of its issuance shall be a first 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 proceeding 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 day of June of each year. Such tax bills if not paid when due shall bear interest at the rate of nine percent (9%) per annum.
G.
Tax Lien. The City may cause a notice of lien for non-payment of such charges to be filed in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds. Such notice of lien shall state charges due, and shall adequately describe the property against which such lien is asserted. A copy of such notice of lien shall be mailed to the owner of the property at the last address on file with the City, and the filing of such notice in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds may be deferred as a matter of grace for not more than thirty (30) days from the mailing date. All charges that remain unpaid shall bear interest at a rate not to exceed the lower of nine percent (9%) per annum or the maximum legal rate from the time a notice of lien is filed with the Recorder of Deeds as herein prescribed, until such time as the account is brought current.