(a) No owner, occupant or person in control of any lot or land within the City shall fail to cause such lot or land to be kept from noxious weeds growing or being upon such lot or land by destroying such weeds by spraying with a chemical compound approved by the Department of Service, by cutting and burning, by digging under, or by any other method approved by the Department. Every owner, occupant or person in control of any lot or land within the City shall cause grass on such lot or land to be maintained not higher than five inches in height form ground level.
(b) The Service Director shall issue notice to the owner, occupant or person in control of any lot or land within the City, on which any noxious weeds grasses, or other weeds in excess of five inches, fare growing or standing, to cut and/or destroy the weeds and/or grasses within two (2) days. The notice may be served by delivering it by one or more of the following procedures:
(1) Personally delivering it to the owner, occupant or person in control of the land;
(2) Delivering it or mailing it by regular or certified mail at the usual place of business or residence of the owner, occupant or person in control of the land;
(3) Posting it in a conspicuous place on the land involved. A separate offense shall be deemed to have occurred each day on which such weeds or grasses are allowed to stand longer than two (2) days after the receipt of such notice. Such weeds or grasses are hereby declared to be nuisances.
(c) If the nuisance is not abated within the required time, the Service Director shall cause its abatement and shall report the cost thereof to Council which may assess the same on the real estate on which the nuisance existed. Such remedy shall be in addition to the penalty provided in subsection (e) hereof.
(d) Upon receipt of such statement of expenses incurred, Council shall make written return to the County Auditor of its action under this section with a statement of the charges for its services, the amount paid for performing such labor and a property description of the premises, for the purpose of making the expenses a lien upon such lands to be collected as are other taxes and returned to the City with the General fund in accordance with Ohio Revised Code Section 731.54.
(e) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor and shall be subject to the penalty provided in Section 698.02 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Maple Heights.
(Ord. 1982-83. Passed 6-3-82. Ord. 2007-43. Passed 5-16-07.)