[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Charter Township
of East China 10-5-1998 by Ord. No. 258
(Ch. 7-12 of the 1980 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
The purpose of this chapter is to regulate and control weeds and noxious
weeds within the Charter Township of East China.
This chapter applies to all parcels of land within the Township that
have an area of five acres or less. Parcels larger than five acres are specifically
exempt from the provisions of this chapter. Furthermore, nothing in this chapter
shall apply to weeds in fields devoted to growing any small grain crop such
as wheat, oats, barley or rye.
It shall be unlawful for the owner or occupant or any person or persons,
firm or corporation of any lot or parcel of land within the Charter Township
of East China to permit or allow to grow thereon any weeds or noxious weeds
of any kind. For the purpose of this chapter, “weeds” include
grasses and similar plants exceeding 12 inches in height that are not of an
ornamental nature. “Noxious weeds” include, but are not limited
to, Canada thistles, dodders, mustards, wild carrot, bindweed, perennial sowthistles,
hoary alyssum, ragweed, poison ivy, poison sumac, all types of grass, or any
other plant varieties of plant which are recognized as inducing hay fever
or other diseases, or being in any other way deleterious to the health or
comfort of the community. The presence of such weeds and noxious weeds upon
any lot or parcel of land within the limits of the Charter Township of East
China is declared to be a public nuisance.
The removal of weeds and noxious weeds is hereby made the duty of the
owner of land or any person or persons, firm or corporation having charge
of any land in the Charter Township of East China upon which weeds or noxious
weeds are growing.
A.
The Township Enforcement Officer shall give notice to
every owner of land and to every person or persons, firm or corporation having
charge of any lands within the Charter Township of East China wherein weeds
or noxious weeds are growing to cut and destroy the same.
B.
Notices shall be mailed to the owner of record of the
property as the same shall appear in the records of the Charter Township of
East China. These notices shall indicate that all weeds and noxious weeds
must be cut on or before a certain date.
A.
In addition to the penalties provided in § 462-5 of this chapter, in case the owner or occupant or the person or persons, firm or corporation having charge of any land in the Charter Township of East China Township shall refuse or neglect to cut the weeds or noxious weeds on or before the date stated in such notice, the Charter Township of East China, through its employees or contractor, may enter upon the land and cause all such weeds and noxious weeds to be cut down with as little damage to other vegetation as may be and to charge the cost thereof, together with 10% of such cost to cover contingent expenses, against the owner or occupant of said premises and against the property itself. The minimum charge for such work on any lot or parcel of land shall be not less than $50.
B.
The Township Treasurer shall keep a record of the cost
of cutting the weeds or noxious weeds upon each separate lot and parcel of
land in the Township, and shall notify the owner or occupant of the said premises
by ordinary mail or otherwise, if the address of such owner or occupant be
known, that the Township has cut or caused to be cut and destroyed the weeds
or noxious weeds upon said premises in accordance with the provisions of this
chapter, together with a statement of the amount due the Township. If the
cost and charges due the Township for cutting and destroying weeds or noxious
weeds upon any lot or parcel of land in accordance with the provisions of
this chapter shall not have been collected on or before the 30th day of September
of the year in which the expense was incurred by the Township, the same shall
be reported by the Township Treasurer to be collected by adding the amount
to the tax roll in accordance with the provisions of the Charter Township
of East China.
