(A) Vacant lots. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to maintain or to permit to be maintained any premises, including vacant lots or land, upon which grass, weeds, undergrowth, trash, garbage, offal, stagnant water, building materials, glass, wood or other matter deleterious to good health and public sanitation which is permitted or caused to accumulate in any manner which is or may become a nuisance causing injury to the health or welfare of the residents or the public in the vicinity or causing injury to neighboring property. (‘88 Code, § 10.401)
(B) Requirement for owner to maintain lots. It is unlawful for the owner of property to fail to cut grass, weeds, and other overgrown vegetation on property when the grass, weeds, or other overgrown vegetation is of a greater height than one foot on the average, or to permit the property to serve as a breeding place for trash and litter, or as a fire hazard, any one of such situations is declared to be a nuisance. It is the duty of the owner and/or occupant to cut and remove all grass, weeds, and other overgrown vegetation as often as necessary to comply with the provisions of this code. Vacant lots shall be cut as many times as needed to meet the requirement of less than one foot of height on average. Heavily wooded lots where equipment cannot maneuver on the lot because of density of the area shall be trimmed within 100 feet from the centerline of the street and adjacent improved property and kept free of liter. If the Code Enforcement Officer should find the premises or lot in a condition tending to injure the public health, safety or wellness, he shall issue a written notice directed to the owner requiring them within a reasonable and specified time to clear the premises or lot in order to abate the nuisance. (‘88 Code, § 10.402)
(C) City to clean; costs to be paid by owner. Should any property owner fail to keep the property cleared, after due notice thereof to do so, the Code Enforcement Officer may cause the property to be kept cleared and in a sanitary condition for health purposes or cleared for fire prevention. If this is not completed within the ten-day period, the city will have the property cleaned and a minimum charge of $300 or the actual cost whichever is greater will be billed directly to the property owner. (‘88 Code, § 10.403)
(S.C. Code § 5-7-80) (Am. Ord. passed 11-20-12; Am. Ord. 017-11-02, passed 11-21-17; Am. Ord. 22-10-02, passed 10-18-22) Penalty, see § 10.99