Whenever by action by the Township of Delaware or its agents, pursuant to a program of building code enforcement, housing code enforcement or health code enforcement, property shall be condemned and declared unfit for habitation or occupancy, the occupants thereof being required to vacate the premises and as a consequence thereof the Township of Delaware being liable for the relocation payments and assistance of and to said former occupants pursuant to law or administrative regulation, the owner of said premises shall be and become liable for the full amount of said relocation benefits incurred by the Township of Delaware.
[Adopted Ord. No. 1988-7 (Sec. 8-4 of the 1996 Revised General Ordinances]
Upon such property having been condemned, the owners thereof shall be served notice of their liability for relocation expenses pursuant to this article by the Township Clerk within 10 days of the posting on the property of the notice of condemnation the Township Clerk shall mail to the owner of the condemned property, at its said owners last known address, a copy of the notice of condemnation and a copy of this article by certified mail, return receipt requested. The owner's address, for the purposes of this section, shall be the address of said owner last appearing in the tax records of the Township of Delaware.
Claims for reimbursement for relocation benefits incurred by the Township of Delaware to any state or county agency shall be sent to the owner of the condemned premises at said owners last known address and payment shall be demanded forthwith. If said payment is not made, the amount of said expense or expenses shall be and become a lien on the condemned real property. The Township tax search officer shall be notified of the existence of said lien and shall be authorized to show said amount or amounts as an unpaid municipal lien on any tax search certified by said tax search officer. The unpaid amount of any such liens shall bear interest at the maximum statutory rate permitted for unpaid taxes. The lien for said amount shall not be discharged unless and until payment in full plus accumulated interest shall be made to the Township Tax Collector.