It shall be the duty of the owner of every lot
or piece of land in the Village of Larchmont to keep the sidewalks
in front of the premises owned by him/her, them or it at all times
in good repair and in a safe condition for public use and free from
all obstructions or encumbrances so as to permit the public use thereof
in any easy and commodious manner.
In case any sidewalk in said Village shall at
any time, in the judgment of the Village Engineer, require repairing
or improving, said Village Engineer shall serve a notice upon the
owner of the lot or piece of land in front of which such sidewalk
is out of repair or in an unsafe condition, requiring the owner or
owners thereof, within five days from the service of such notice,
to repair or improve such sidewalk so as to make the same in good
repair and in a safe condition. Such notice shall be served on such
owner personally or by leaving the same at the residence of such owner
or owners with a person of suitable age and discretion or by posting
the same conspicuously on such premises or by mailing the same addressed
to such owner or owners at their residence address. Where there are
two or more owners of any such property, service upon one of them
shall be sufficient.
[Amended 9-7-1993 by L.L. No. 3-1993]
If any owner or owners shall neglect or refuse
to repair or improve such sidewalk within the time limited therefor
by said notice, the Village of Larchmont shall have the right to forthwith
make such repairs or improvements in such manner as it shall deem
proper and suitable and shall file a certificate of the expense thereof,
together with a description of the property in front of which such
improvement or repairs were made, with the Village Clerk, who shall
certify the same to the Board of Trustees at the next regular meeting
thereafter. The expense of making such improvement or repairs shall
be paid by the owner of the property abutting on the sidewalk so improved
or repaired and may be collected in an action at law or assessed upon
the adjoining land. Such assessments shall be made and taxes levied
as provided by the Village Law. The Village Board may, by resolution
and without further public hearing, assume such percentage of the
cost of any sidewalk repair under such program as the Board, in its
sole judgment, should decide; and, further, although the Village may
determine the amount which the taxpayer will pay and the amount the
Village will pay, in no event will there be assessed to the taxpayer
an amount in excess of what he would pay under a voluntary program
on a 60/40 basis, whereby the Village would pay 60% and the owner
would pay 40% of the cost of such sidewalk repairs.
[Added 3-21-1966]
Said 60/40 program or any other sharing of the
percentage of cost of repair or improvement shall apply only to sidewalks
which adjoin or abut one-family residential properties within the
Village.