541.06 DESTRUCTION OF SHRUBS, TREES OR CROPS.

   (a)   No person, without privilege to do so, shall recklessly cut down, destroy, girdle or otherwise injure a vine, bush, shrub, sapling, tree or crop standing or growing on the land of another or upon public land.

   (b)   In addition to any penalty provided, whoever violates this section is liable in treble damages for the injury caused. (ORC 901.51)

   (c)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. (ORC 901.99(A))

541.07 DESECRATION.

   (a)   No person, without privilege to do so, shall purposely deface, damage, pollute or otherwise physically mistreat any of the following:

      (1)   The flag of the United States or of this State;

      (2)   Any public monument;

      (3)   Any historical or commemorative marker, or any structure, Indian mound or earthwork, cemetery, thing or site of great historical or archeological interest;

      (4)   A work of art or museum piece;

      (5)   Any other object of reverence or sacred devotion.

   (b)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of desecration, a misdemeanor of the second degree.

   (c)   As used in this section, “cemetery” means any place of burial and includes burial sites that contain American Indian burial objects placed with or containing American Indian human remains. (ORC 2927.11)

541.08 ETHNIC INTIMIDATION.

   (a)   No person shall violate Ohio R.C. 2903.21, 2903.22, 2909.06, 2909.07 or 2917.21(A)(3) to (5) or Sections 537.05, 537.06, 537.05(a)(3) to (5), 541.03 or 541.04 of the General Offenses Code by reason of the race, color, religion or national origin of another person or group of persons.

   (b)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of ethnic intimidation. Ethnic intimidation is an offense of the next higher degree than the offense the commission of which is a necessary element of ethnic intimidation.

(ORC 2927.12)

541.09 PLACING OF POLES.

   (a)    No person shall place any pole or poles so as to obstruct any public or private drive or passage way, or so as to obstruct or injure any sewer, water or gas pipe, or so as to injure any tree or trees, curbing or sidewalk, or shall string any wires thereon at a distance less than fifteen feet from the surface of the ground. All poles not in use for maintenance of wires shall be removed. (1970 Code §86.20)

   (b)    Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

541.10 DISPOSITION OF LOST PROPERTY TURNED OVER TO THE CITY.

   (a)    Lost property which is turned over to the City for the purpose of ascertaining the rightful owner shall be considered a bailment, with the finder as bailor and the City as bailee.

   (b)    Upon the receipt of said property, the City shall make reasonable effort, as in each instance is determined to be necessary and appropriate, to ascertain the rightful owner of such property.

   (c)    The City shall make and keep records relating to such property, including the date and location of the finding and the name and address of the finder.

   (d)    If after reasonable effort has been made to ascertain the rightful owner, the rightful owner cannot be determined, such property shall be returned to the finder, no earlier than ninety days after receipt by the City of such property, subject to the continuing rights of the true owner, and the bailment herein established shall be terminated.

   (e)    The City shall obtain a receipt for the return of the property to any finder.

(Ord. 94-206. Passed 9-20-94.)

541.11 VEHICULAR VANDALISM.

   (a)   As used in this section:

      (1)   “Highway” means any highway as defined in Section 301.42 of the Traffic Code or any lane, road, street, alley, bridge, or overpass.

      (2)   “Alley”, “street”, and “vehicle” have the same meanings as in Chapter 301 of the Traffic Code.

      (3)   “Vessel” and “waters in this State” have the same meanings as in Ohio R.C. 1546.01.

   (b)   No person shall knowingly, and by any means, drop or throw any object at, onto, or in the path of any of the following:

      (1)   Any vehicle on a highway;

      (2)   Any boat or vessel on any of the waters in this State that are located in the Municipality.

   (c)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of vehicular vandalism. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, vehicular vandalism is a misdemeanor of the first degree. If the violation of this section creates a substantial risk of physical harm to any person, serious physical harm to property, physical harm to any person or serious physical harm to any person, vehicular vandalism is a felony and shall be prosecuted under appropriate State law.

(ORC 2909.09)