[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee (now Township Council)
of the Township of West Windsor 12-27-1979 by Ord. No. 79-39 as Sec. 3-5 of
the Revised General Ordinances. Amendments noted where applicable.]
It is hereby declared to be to the best interests of the citizens of
the township that measures be adopted to eliminate certain fire hazards and
conditions injurious to the public health, safety or general welfare, as hereinafter
provided.
Whenever the owner or tenant of a dwelling or lands lying within the
limits of the township shall make, cause or permit an accumulation of brush,
weeds, dead or dying trees, stumps, roots, obnoxious growths, filth, garbage,
trash or debris or any or some of them in, on or upon the owner's or tenant's
lands or dwelling so as, in the opinion of the appropriate municipal department
head, to constitute a fire hazard or a menace or danger to the public health,
safety or general welfare, a written notice shall be given to the owner or
tenant directing the owner or tenant to remove the same from such lands or
dwelling within 10 days after the giving of the notice.
Notice may be given in the same manner as provided for the service of judicial process in any of the courts of the State of New Jersey or by sending the same by registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed to the owner or tenant at his or her last known post office address. This notice shall specify the condition constituting the hazard or menace existing upon such lands or dwelling and shall contain a summary of the provisions of §§ 48-4 through 48-6.
If the owner or tenant of such lands or dwelling to whom such notice
shall have been given as aforesaid shall refuse or neglect to remove the brush,
weeds, etc., within the ten-day period, then the same shall be removed from
the lands or dwelling by or under the direction of the Chief of Police of
the township, and it shall be lawful for the Chief or Police or the person
or persons employed by the Chief of Police for the purpose to enter upon the
lands or dwelling to remove the same.
In all cases where such brush, weeds, etc., are removed from any lands
or dwelling by or under the direction of an officer, the officer shall certify
the cost thereof to the Business Administrator, who shall examine the certificate
and, if found to be correct, shall cause the cost as shown thereon to be charged
against these lands or dwelling, as provided for in N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.14 et
seq. The amount so charged shall forthwith become a lien upon such lands or
dwelling and shall be added to and become and form a part of the taxes next
to be assessed and levied upon such lands or dwelling, payable when the first
quarterly installment of taxes shall become due and payable, the same to bear
interest at the same rate as taxes, and shall be collected and enforced by
the same officers and in the same manner as taxes.
Any owner or tenant violating any provision of this chapter by failing to comply with a notice given as aforesaid within the time therein fixed or by interfering with, preventing or attempting to interfere with or prevent the performance by the aforesaid officer or the persons employed by the officer of the duties hereinbefore imposed upon the officer, or in any other way, shall be liable to the penalty established in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II, Penalty, § 1-3.
