(a) Property Maintenance Officer. It shall be the responsibility and duty of the Property Maintenance Officer to enforce and administer the provisions of the Code.
(b) Right of Entry. The Property Maintenance Officer or any of his designated agents may at any reasonable hour, enter any dwelling, structure or premises within the Municipality to perform any duty imposed on him by this Code, provided that permission to enter is obtained from the occupant or, in the case of unoccupied property, from the owner or his agent. If such permission is refused or is otherwise unobtainable, a search warrant must be obtained before such entry or inspection is made, except in the case of an existing emergency in which case entry may be made at any time and no search warrant is necessary. No person shall refuse or permit such emergency entry or inspection, nor shall any person hinder, obstruct, resist, or abuse any person making or attempting to make such entry or inspection.
(c) Responsibilities of Owner and Occupant Independent.
(1) Owners shall have the duties and responsibilities as prescribed in this Code and no owner shall be relieved from any such duty and responsibility nor be entitled to defend against any charge of violation thereof by reason of the fact that the occupant is also responsible therefor and in violation thereof.
(2) Occupants shall have all the duties and responsibilities as prescribed in this Code, and the occupant shall not be relieved from any such duty and responsibility nor be entitled to defend against any charge of violation thereof by reason of the fact that the owner is also responsible therefor and in violation thereof.
(d) Notice of Violation.
(1) Where a violation of this Code is found to exist, a written notice from the Property Maintenance Officer shall be served upon the person or persons responsible for the correction thereof. Said notice shall specify the violation or violations committed, what must be done to correct same, and reasonable period of time to correct or abate said violation.
(2) Service of said notice shall be by certified mail addressed to the owner and/or occupant at his residence or to the tax mailing address as indicated by the records of the Lake County Treasurer, or by delivery to the residence of the owner and/or occupant or by delivery to said individual at the premises.
(e) Failure to Comply. Whenever the owner and/or occupant of a structure or premises fails, neglects, or refuses to comply with any notice of the Property Maintenance Officer within the time period specified in said notice, the Property Maintenance Officer shall be proceed as provided in subsection (f) hereof.
(f) Prosecution of Violations. Where the owner and/or occupant of any premises fails to comply with a notice of violation of any of the provisions of Section 1321.02, said owner or occupant shall be considered to be in violation of this Code and the Property Maintenance Officer shall proceed at law to compel compliance and to prosecute said violation.
(Ord. 10-08-10. Passed 10-20-08.)