(A) Failure of owner to remove; abatement by town; costs; lien; collection. The owners of all vacant property within the town shall cut and remove weeds, grass and other foreign growth from the lots at intervals to be designated by the Council, and upon their failure to do so the Town Manager may have the weeds, grass and other foreign growth cut and removed and may charge the owner with the cost of the removal. Every charge authorized by this section with which the owner of any such property shall have been assessed which remains unpaid shall constitute a lien against the property and may be collected by the town as taxes and levies are collected.
(B) Notice; failure of owner to abate; additional notice with deadline; abatement by town; costs. Reasonable notice of the date fixed by the Council for the removal of the weeds, grass or other foreign growth shall be given by newspaper publication, mail or by delivery of a written notice to each property owner. Upon the failure of the property owner to cut and remove the weeds, grass or other foreign growth by the date fixed, the Town Manager shall notify the property owner by certified mail that he or she has 15 days from the date of the notice to remove the weeds, grass or other foreign growth, and that upon his or her failure to so remove the Town Manager shall have the weeds, grass or other foreign growth removed and shall charge the costs to the owner.
(C) Bill of costs; perfection of lien; collection. Upon the completion of the removal, the Town Manager shall send by certified mail to the owner a bill for the costs of the removal with the notation thereon that the charges are collectible by the town as taxes and levies, and that failure to pay the bill within 60 days of the date of the bill will result in a lien being perfected against the property and the institution of other collection procedures. Upon the owner’s failure to pay the bill by the date set thereon, the Town Manager shall perfect the lien by recording the lien in the Clerk’s office of the County Circuit Court and may, pursuant to law, institute any collection procedures as he or she may deem necessary.
(1997 Code, § 74-31)