[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of West Springfield as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[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,[1] including interest and all costs to record said lien(s) in the Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 257, Water, Art. I.
B. 
Charges or penalties for violations of the zoning bylaws (ordinance),[2] including interest and costs to record said liens in the Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
[2]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 300, Zoning.
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,[3] including interest and costs to record said lien in the Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
[3]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 204, Sewers, Art. I.
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,[4] including interest and costs to record said lien in the Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
[Added 1-7-2019]
[4]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 110, Art. III.
J. 
Charges or penalties for violations of the Plastic Bags Ordinance,[5] including interest and costs to record said lien in the Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
[Added 6-5-2019]
[5]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 194.
K. 
Charges or penalties for violations of the Polystyrene Foam Ordinance,[6] including interest and costs to record said lien in the Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
[Added 6-1-2020]
[6]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 196.
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.
A. 
The Tax Collector shall be in charge of collecting the lien.
B. 
The Town Clerk shall notify the Assessors of all unpaid tickets that have not been paid or appealed to the court at the end of each month.
C. 
The Assessor shall prepare a statement of municipal charges lien for each person from the list(s) received from the Town Clerk or person responsible for collecting the charge or penalty and shall forward said statement of lien to the Tax Collector, who shall cause said statement(s) to be recorded in the Hampden County Registry of Deeds.
A. 
If a charge or fee secured by the lien is unpaid when the Assessors are preparing the real estate tax list and warrant, the Tax Collector shall certify the charge or penalty to the Assessors' Department and the Assessors shall add the charge or fee to the next property tax bill to which it relates, and commit it with the warrant to the Collector as part of the tax.
B. 
If the property to which the charge or fee relates is tax exempt, the charge or fee shall be committed as a tax on said property.
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.