(B) Pursuant to G.S. § 160A-193, the town shall have the authority to summarily remove, abate or remedy a sign or sign structure which the town determines to be dangerous or prejudicial to the public health or safety. The expense of the action shall be paid by the sign owner, or if the sign owner cannot be ascertained, by the property owner, and if not paid, there shall be a lien placed upon the land or premises where the nuisance arose, and it shall be collected as unpaid taxes.
(C) Pursuant to G.S. §§ 160A-193 and 160A-296, any signs or sign structures prohibited under § 8.05 are hereby declared to be a public health nuisance in that they are dangerous or prejudicial to the public health or public safety and the Planning Director shall have the authority to remove summarily the sign and/or sign structure.
(D) The Planning Director shall have the authority to issue a remove order for any sign not repaired or brought into compliance within the time prescribed by a notice of violation. Remove orders shall be issued to and served upon the sign/sign structure owner, or if the sign/sign structure owner cannot be ascertained, the sign or sign structure shall be removed 30 days after the service of the remove order at the expense of the offender. The remove order shall describe with particularity the location of the sign or sign structure to be removed and the reason(s) for issuance of the remove order, including specific reference to the provisions of this article that have been violated.
(E) In the event of failure to comply with the requirements of a remove order, the Planning Director may cause such sign or sign structure to be removed. The sign owner and property owner may be jointly and separately liable for the expense of removal. Notice of the cost of removal shall be sent via registered mail by the ordinance administrator.
If said sum is not paid within 30 days thereafter, said sum may be collected by the town in a civil action in the nature of debt, which shall not subject the offender to the penalty provisions of G.S. § 14-4.
(Ord. passed 11-2-2011)