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For statutory authority for towns to declare nuisances and to prevent and abate them by all the remedies given by law, see RCW 35.27.410; for statutory authority for cities or towns to require by ordinance the removal of obstructing trees and plants, see RCW 35.21.310; for provision for code cities to have the powers of cities of any class, see RCW 35A. 21.160.
If any person, company or corporation owning, possessing or occupying any lot or lots or unplatted lawn, improved or unimproved, enclosed or unenclosed, in the city knowingly suffers or permits any Canadian thistle, Russian thistle, tumbling mustard, the so-called Jim Hill mustard, cockleburrs, or other noxious weed, to grow thereon, or to grow in between the marginal line of any street or alley abutting thereon and the center of said street or alley, and knowingly suffers or permits any such weed or weeds to stand until the seed thereof ripens, such person, company or corporation shall be deemed guilty of maintaining a nuisance and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punishable as set forth in Section 1.28.010 of this code.
(Ord. 143 § 1, 1911; Ord. 917 § 2(c) (part), 1974)
It is the duty of the chief of police to see that the provisions of this chapter are carried out, and he shall give notice to the owner, possessor or occupier or to the agent of such owner, if known, of any lot or lots or unplatted land in the city whereon, or abutting on any street or alley wherein, any weed or weeds mentioned in Section 8.24.080 of this chapter are growing, requiring him to cause the same to be cut down within ten days from the service of such notice; and in case such owner, possessor, occupier or agent of such owner, shall refuse or neglect to cut down the weeds within the ten days, then the chief of police shall enter upon said lot or lots or land, and cause all of the weeds to be cut down. Provided, that when such weeds are growing upon the land of a nonresident of this state and such owner has no known agent in the county, said notice shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the land in view of the traveling public and provided, that in case of noxious weeds growing on the right-of-way of any railroad within the city, notice shall be served on the section foreman in charge of the portion of the right-of-way within the city limits of the city or on some agent of the company in the city.
(Ord. 143 § 2, 1911)
The chief of police shall keep an accurate account of the expense incurred by him in carrying out the provisions of this chapter with respect to each lot or parcel of land entered upon therefor, and of each lot or parcel of land abutting upon any street or alley in which such weeds have been caused by him to be cut down, and shall offer or send by mail a statement of such expense, including a description of the lot or parcel of land verified by oath, to the owner, lessor, occupier or agent of such owner, if known, requiring him to pay the same within thirty days. In case payment thereof is not made within said time, the chief of police shall present the claim to the city council, and if the city council finds the same to be correct it shall be ordered paid out of the street fund of the city.
(Ord. 143 § 3, 1911)
At the time when the city council pays the claim for cutting said weeds as in Section 8.24.100 provided, it shall make an order that the amount paid be a tax on the land on which the work was done, and in case the weeds were growing in a street or alley, that amount paid therefor be a tax upon the land or parcel of land abutting upon said street or alley, and the city treasurer shall enter the same on the tax rolls against the land for the current year and collect it together with penalty and interest as other taxes are collected, and when so collected the same shall be credited to the street fund of the city.
(Ord. 143 § 4, 1911)