The following terms and definitions shall be defined as written unless context indicates or requires a different meaning.
ABANDONED. To give up control of, or to cease from intending or attempting to protect, maintain or use any vehicle, property, premise or structure.
ABANDONED VEHICLE/PROPERTY. Any derelict or wrecked property/vehicle which has been left abandoned or unprotected from the elements and shall include inoperative or partially dismantled vehicles, trailers, boats, machinery, appliances, furniture, construction materials and other similar articles used in or in conjunction with the home, property or vehicle.
ANIMAL WASTE. Animal excreta, including cleanings from barns, stables, corrals, all pens, or conveyances used for stabling, transporting, or penning of animals, fowl or reptiles.
APPROVED. Approved by the City of Goose Creek.
ASHES. Any residue, hot or cold, that occurs and remains due to burning or other similar manner of combustion.
AUTOMOBLE GRAVEYARD. Any establishment which is maintained or used for buying or selling vehicle bodies, wrecked, scraped, ruined, or dismantled vehicles or motor vehicle parts.
BLIGHT. Any one or more of the following conditions or activities:
(1) Abandoned building or structure;
(2) Attractive nuisance, as in any property in an unsecured state so as to potentially constitute an attraction to children, vagrants, criminals or other unauthorized persons or so as to enable persons to resort thereto to committing an unlawful act;
(3) A building or structure that is in a state of disrepair to the extent so as to pose a threat to public health, safety or welfare; and
(4) Property inadequately maintained to the extent so as to pose a threat to public health, safety or welfare.
BRUSH. All trees and plant material which is growing or has grown on any premise.
CODE OFFICIAL. The official who is charged with the administration and enforcement of this code, or any duly authorized representative.
CONDEMN. To judge unfit for human occupancy or unsafe as to the extent as to pose a threat to public health and safety.
CONTRACTOR. Any individual(s) who provides a service and receives payment of any kind for said services rendered.
CITY. City of Goose Creek, South Carolina.
CITY COUNCIL. The duly elected officials of the City of Goose Creek, South Carolina.
COUNTY. Berkeley County, South Carolina.
DETERIORATION. The condition of a building, vehicle, public or private property or part thereof characterized by excessive holes, breaks, rotting, crumbling, peeling, rusting, neglect, lack of maintenance or other evidence of physical decay or excessive use.
DWELLING UNIT. A single unit providing complete, independent living facilities for one or more persons, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation.
EASEMENT. That portion of land or property reserved for present or future use by a person or agency other than the legal owner(s) of the property. The easement shall be permitted to be for use under, on or above a said lot or lots.
EMINENT DANGER. A condition which could cause serious or life threatening injury or death at any time.
END OF WORK WEEK. Friday at 5:00 p.m.
EXPOSED TO PUBLIC VIEW. Any premises or any part thereof, or any building or vehicle or any part thereof, which may be viewed from a natural position, including any lawful elevated location on either public or private property, using unassisted vision.
EXTERIOR PROPERTY. The open space on the premises and on adjoining property under the control of the owners or operators of such premises.
EXTERMINATION. The control and elimination of insects, rodents, vermin or other pests by eliminating their harborage places by removing or making inaccessible materials that serve as their food, by poison spraying, fumigating, and trapping or by any other legal pest elimination methods.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. The government of the United States of America.
GARBAGE. Any organic waste matter, both animal and vegetable, resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking and consumption of food items. Also, cans, bottles, rags, boxes, and other comparable items and waste.
HIGHWAY. A way or place of whatever nature publicly or privately maintained and opened to use of the public or private sector for vehicular travel. Highway includes streets, roads, boulevards, courts, circles, alleys, ways and the like.
IMPOUND LOT. An area incident to the operation of a business within the city, used for the storage of vehicles from which no major parts have been removed, and which are capable of being made fully operational and used for storage of not more than nine vehicles at any time.
INFESTATION. The excessive or abnormal presence of insects, rodents, vermin or other pests.
INOPERATIVE. Any vehicle or equipment located upon a public highway, street or street right-of-way, alley or on public or private property which is wrecked, dismantled or inoperative so that said vehicle or equipment is incapable of independent operation.
INOPERATIVE MOTOR VEHICLE. A vehicle which cannot be driven upon the public streets as it was intended and designed to do for reason including but not limited to being unlicensed, wrecked, in a state of disrepair or incapable of being moved under its own power.
LITTER. Any unhealthy or unsanitary accumulation or placement of refuse, rubbish, garbage, grass, bushes, weeds, vines, leaves, etc. on private or public property.
NATURAL POSITION. Standing or sitting in a manner not requiring the assistance of additional apparatus, such as a ladder, to facilitate the viewing of an area or object.
OCCUPANCY. The purpose for which a building or portion thereof is utilized or occupied.
OCCUPANT. Any individual(s) living or sleeping in a building, or having possession of a space within a building.
OPERATOR. Any person(s) who has charge, care or control of a structure, dwelling, premises or vehicle or any part thereof, whether with or without the knowledge and consent of the owner, including, if applicable, a lessee.
OWNER. Any person(s), agent, operator, firm, mortgage holder, part owner, tenant, corporation or any entity having a legal or equitable interest in the property or recorded in the official records of the state, county or municipality as holding title to the property or otherwise having control of the property including the guardian of the estate of any such person if ordered to take possession of real property by a court.
PARTIALLY DISMANTLED/WRECKED VEHICLE. Any vehicle from which major parts have been removed so as to render the motor vehicle inoperative or a wrecked vehicle where the damage to the vehicle has rendered the vehicle inoperative.
PARTIES OF INTEREST. Any person or entity who has interest of record in a premise or property or any who are in actual possession thereof.
PERSON. The word PERSON shall extend and be applied to individuals, firms, partnerships, associations, organizations and bodies political and corporate, or any combination thereof.
PREMISES. The exterior of any building, structure or any parcel of land (whether improved or unimproved) including the area up to the paved edge of the road, street, curb or alley and including any adjacent sidewalks, easements and right-of-way.
PUBLIC PLACES. Any building, park, cemetery, school yard or open space owned by the public and used for the general welfare of the public.
PUBLIC PROPERTY. Lands and improvements owned by the Federal government, the state, the county or the city, that include but are not limited to vehicles, buildings, grounds, parks, playgrounds, streets, sidewalks, parkways, easements, right-of-way and similar properties.
PUBLIC WAY. Any street, alley or similar parcel of land essentially unobstructed from the ground to the sky, which is deeded, dedicated or otherwise permanently appropriated to the public for public use.
PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR. The individual appointed by the City Administrator to carry out the functions of the city's Public Works Department.
REFUSE. Any unhealthy or unsafe accumulation of rubbish, litter, leaves, grass, bushes, vines, tree branches, garbage, waste, household items and building materials, etc., on private or public property.
REPAIR. The improvement, replacement or restoration, of an existing premise or vehicle to its original state with similar materials or parts to enhance its current value. The term REPAIR or REPAIRS shall not apply to any alterations such as moving of walls, additions of rooms or similar changes of construction.
RUBBISH. Combustible and noncombustible waste materials, except garbage, the term shall include the residue from the burning of wood, coal coke and other combustible materials, paper, rags, cartons, boxes, wood, excelsior, rubber, leather, tree branches, yard trimmings, tin cans, metals, mineral matter, glass, crockery and other similar materials.
SCDHEC. South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
SCRAP PROCESSORS. Any person(s) engaged in the business of buying scrap iron and metals, including, but not limited to, vehicles, for the specific purpose of processing into raw material for melting purposes, and whose product is ferrous and non-ferrous scrap for shipment to steel mills, foundries, smelters and refineries, and having facilities and machinery designed for such processing.
STATE. The State of South Carolina.
STRICT LIABILITY OFFENCE. An offence in which the prosecution in a legal proceeding is not required to prove criminal intent as part of its case. It is enough to prove that the defendant either did an act that was prohibited, or failed to do an act which the defendant was legally required to do.
STRUCTURE. That which is built or constructed or any portion thereof
TENANT. A person(s), corporation, partnership or group, whether or not legal owner of record, occupying a building or portion thereof.
UNASSISTED VISION. Vision without the assistance of magnification apparatus such as binoculars but not including prescription eyeglasses or photographic equipment.
VACANT. Not occupied or being used for its expressed intended purpose.
VEHICLES. Any device by which a person(s) or property may be propelled, moved or towed upon a highway, except a vehicle moved by human power or those used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.
VIEWABLE. That which can be viewed from public property, or private property if proper permission is granted to do so, from a natural position, including any lawful elevated position, with unassisted vision.
WEEDS. All uncultivated vegetative growth.
WORKMANLIKE. Executed in a skilled manner, generally plumb, level, square, in line, undamaged and without marring adjacent work.
YARD. An open space on the same lot with a structure.
(Ord. 17-016, passed
7-11-2017)