The Department of Health, Department of Public Works, or Police
Department shall from time to time make inspections, and if any such
department finds any violation of this article, or if any such violation
is reported to it by a Township officer or employee, shall give written
notice to the owner, tenant, lessee, mortgagee, its agent and/or assigns
or occupant to remove or correct the violations.
In the event the owner, lessee, tenant, mortgagee, its agent
and/or assigns or occupant, within 10 days after such notice to such
owner, tenant, lessee or occupant, shall refuse or neglect to remove
the same, the Township manager may provide for the removal from such
lands of brush, weeds, dead and dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious
growths, filth, garbage, trash and debris or under the direction of
any officer of the Township the Township manager may designate.
In all cases where brush, weeds, dead and dying trees, stumps,
roots, obnoxious growths, filth, garbage, trash and debris are removed
from any lands by or under the direction of the manager, or such other
officer as provided above, such officer shall certify the cost thereof
to the Township council, which shall examine the certificate, and
if found correct, shall cause the cost as shown thereon to be charged
against such lands, which amount so charged shall forthwith become
a lien upon such lands, the same to bear interest at the same rate
as taxes, and shall be collected and enforced in the same manner as
taxes.
The Department of Health, Department of Public Works, or Police
Department, in preparing the notice described in this article, shall
have discretion to include all or only certain portions of the lands
of the owner, tenant, lessee, mortgagee, its agents or assigns or
occupant to be served with such notice, or all or only specified types,
quantities or sizes of brush, weeds, dead and dying trees, stumps,
roots, obnoxious growths, filth, garbage, trash and debris, as may
be described and designated in such notice.
The provisions of this article, including, but not limited to, accumulation of and size and dimensions of vegetative materials, are also applicable to commercial landscapers as defined in this chapter. Commercial landscapers must register with the Township as set forth in Article
IV herein.
Any person violating the terms of this article shall, upon conviction
in the municipal court, be punished as follows:
A. For the first offense, a fine of $500;
B. For the second offense, a fine of $750; and
C. For the third offense and any subsequent offenses thereafter, a fine
of $1,000 or imprisonment for a term not to exceed 90 days, or both.