(A) It shall be the duty of the Code Enforcement Officer or other responsible officer designated by the Mayor to serve or cause to be served a notice upon the owner or occupant of any premises on which there is kept or maintained any nuisance in violation of the provisions of this chapter and to demand the abatement of the nuisance within five days unless the nuisance constitutes an immediate danger to the health and well-being of the community. If such danger is present, the nuisance shall be abated within 24 hours of notice. Notice shall be served upon persons by certified mail, but if the whereabouts of the person is unknown and cannot be ascertained by the Code Enforcement Officer in the exercise of reasonable diligence, the Code Enforcement Officer shall make an affidavit to that effect, and the serving of notice may be made by publication in a newspaper of general circulation for two consecutive days. A copy of the notice shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises affected by the notice and it shall be recorded in the office of the County Clerk.
(B) If the person so served does not abate the nuisance within five days, the city may proceed to abate the nuisance, or the city may employ independent contractors to abate the nuisance. The person or persons employed to abate the nuisance shall have the full right of access to the property with such personnel, machinery, and equipment as are necessary to abate the nuisance. The city shall keep a record of the costs incurred to abate the nuisance and said costs shall be charged to and paid by the owner and/or occupant.
(C) Charges for nuisance abatement shall be a lien on the premises. Nuisance abatement charges shall include labor, equipment usage, fuel and oil, attorneys' fees, filing fees, publication costs, court costs, and all other fees and charges whenever incurred by the city for the abatement of the nuisance, enforcement of the lien, and foreclosure on the property. Whenever a bill for charges remains unpaid for 60 days after it has been rendered, the City Clerk/Code Enforcement Officer may file with the County Clerk a statement of lien claim. This statement shall contain a legal description of the premises, the expenses and costs incurred, the date the nuisance was abated, and a notice that the city claims a lien for this amount. Notice of the lien claim shall be mailed to the owner of the premises if his address is known. However, failure to record the lien claim or to mail the notice, or the failure of the owner to receive the notice, shall not affect the right to foreclose the lien for charges as provided in division (D) below. The lien shall bear interest thereafter until paid at the legal rate of 6% percent per annum. The lien created shall take precedence over all other subsequent liens, except ad valorem taxes due the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Hopkins County, and other taxing districts or municipalities, and may be enforced by the filing of an action to enforce such lien in the Hopkins Circuit Court.
(D) Property subject to a lien for unpaid nuisance abatement charges shall be sold for nonpayment and the proceeds of the sale shall be applied to pay nuisance abatement charges and attorneys’ fees after deducting costs. This foreclosure shall be in equity in the name of the city.
(E) The City Attorney is authorized and directed to institute such proceedings, in the name of the city, in any court having jurisdiction over the matter, against any property for which the bill has remained unpaid 60 days after it has been rendered.
(Ord. 2017-1, passed 6-20-2017)