[Adopted 6-17-2002 by Ord. No. 111 (Ch. 6, § 6-105, of the
Codified Ordinances)]
This article is adopted pursuant to the authority of MGL c.
40, § 21 and MGL c. 40, § 58 and any other relevant
statutes and regulations.
The purpose of the establishment of a municipal charges lien
is to provide a cost-effective method of collecting a charge and/or
fine assessed against an owner of real property in the Town who fails
and/or refuses to pay said charge and/or fee when due, by placing
a lien upon real estate owned by the property owner.
The municipal charges lien shall apply to the following municipal
charge and/or fees:
A. Charges or penalties for violations of the water use restriction
ordinance, including interest and all costs to record said lien(s)
in the Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
B. Charges or penalties for violations of the zoning bylaws (ordinance), including interest and costs to record said liens in the
Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
C. Charges or penalties for violations of the snow removal ordinance
including interest and costs to record said liens in the Hampden County
Registry of Deeds.
D. Charges or penalties for violation of orders of the Building Department
for violations of the building code, including interest and all costs
to record said lien in the Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
E. Charges or penalties for violation of the rules and regulations of
the Board of Health and the State Sanitation Code, including interest
and all costs to record said lien in the Hampden County Registry of
Deeds.
F. Charges or penalties for violation of the Ordinances of the Town
of West Springfield, including interest and all costs to record said
lien in the Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
G. Charges or penalties for violations of the illicit discharge ordinance, including interest and costs to record said lien in the
Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
H. Charges and penalties for violations of the rules and regulations adopted pursuant to Chapter
213, Article
I, Recycling, including interest and all costs to record said liens in the Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
[Added 5-17-2004 by Ord.
No. 118; amended 5-7-2007 by Ord. No. 136]
I. Charges or penalties for violations of the Feeding of Wild Animals,
Wildlife, and Birds Ordinance, including interest and costs to record said lien in the
Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
[Added 1-7-2019]
J. Charges or penalties for violations of the Plastic Bags Ordinance, including interest and costs to record said lien in the
Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
[Added 6-5-2019]
K. Charges
or penalties for violations of the Polystyrene Foam Ordinance, including interest and costs to record said lien in the
Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
[Added 6-1-2020]
The municipal charges lien will take effect upon the recording
of a statement of unpaid municipal charges and fees, setting forth
the amount due, including recording costs, the address(es) of the
land to which the lien is to apply and the name of the assessed owner.
The municipal charge lien may be discharged by filing a certificate
from the Tax Collector that all municipal charges or fees constituting
a lien, together with any interest and costs, have been paid or legally
abated.
[Amended 11-22-2005]
A municipal charges lien may be abated in whole or in part by
a written statement of the reasons for the abatement signed by the
head of the department that imposed the lien and with written approval
of the Mayor. The Tax Collector shall, upon receipt of said statement,
issue the abatement requested. Said statement of reasons shall contain
an itemized list of all charges, fees, interest and/or penalties to
be abated. An abatement shall be effective upon the filing, by the
Tax Collector, of said statement with the office of the Town Clerk.
The Town Clerk shall maintain, in a separate volume, all such abatements
for six years from the date of the filing.
[Adopted as Ch. 6, § 6-200, of the Codified Ordinances]
A fee, to be determined by the Mayor, shall be charged for each
person transported in the Town ambulance.
Said fee shall result in the ambulance service being self-supporting
and shall be reviewed on an annual basis prior to the beginning of
each fiscal year by the Mayor.
Said fees shall be sufficient to establish and maintain a reserve
fund, and the amount of said funds shall be determined by the Mayor.