(A) Unlawful growth. The owner of any lot or parcel of land within the city shall, at least once during each of the months of April, May, June, July, August and September, remove all weeds and rank vegetation of any kind growing upon the property.
(B) Notice to remove. Pursuant to I.C. 36-7-10.1-1, the Board of Public Works and Safety shall require the owners of real property in the city to cut and remove weeds or other rank vegetation growing on that property. A five-day written notice to remove the vegetation shall be issued by the Clerk-Treasurer and served by a law enforcement officer upon the landowner if he or she is a resident or by certified mail addressed to his or her last known address if he or she is a nonresident.
(C) Removal costs.
(1) If the landowner fails to remove the vegetation within the time prescribed, the city shall remove the vegetation. The Clerk-Treasurer shall make a certified statement of the actual cost incurred by the city in the removal. The statement shall be delivered to the owner of the property by a law enforcement officer of the city or by registered mail, and the owner shall then make payment to the Clerk-Treasurer.
(2) If the landowner fails to pay the amount within ten days after receiving the statement, a certified copy of the statement of costs shall be filed in the office of the Auditor of the county in which the property is located.
(3) The Auditor shall place the amount claimed on a tax duplicate against the property affected by the work and the amount shall be collected as taxes are collected and shall be disbursed to the General Fund of the city.
(1998 Code, § 6-180) (Ord. 603, passed 7-27-1998)
Statutory reference:
Removal of weeds and rank vegetation, see I.C. 36-7-10.1-1 et seq.