The owner or person in control of any private property shall at all times maintain his premises free of garbage, rubbish, refuse, litter or other waste material of any kind which is not contained in covered receptacles which are regularly emptied and maintained and which do not become a nuisance or menace to public health.
(a) Notice to Remove. The Building Inspector, Director of Public Service, Chief of Police or their authorized designees, are authorized and empowered to notify and order the owner of any property occupied or unoccupied, within the City, or the agent of such owner, to properly dispose of garbage, rubbish, refuse, litter or other waste material of any kind which was dumped , or stored by such owner or some other person in violation of Section 951.02 hereof. Such notice and order shall be delivered personally, or posted in a conspicuous place in or about the structure affected by such notice.
(b) Action Upon Noncompliance. Upon the failure, neglect or refusal of any owner or agent so notified to properly dispose of such garbage, rubbish, refuse, litter, mattresses, furniture or other waste material within twenty-four (24) hours after written notice provided for in subsection (a) herein, the Director of Public Service, or his designee, is authorized and empowered to collect or otherwise dispose of such garbage, rubbish, refuse, litter, mattresses, furniture or other waste material by the City, which will be charged to the owner as set forth in subsection (d) below. Refuse containers will be forfeited.
(c) Within any three-month period, the first notice to remove will be sent followed by citation and/or other enforcement action if the violation is not corrected or abated within 24 hours of written notice provided for in subsection (a) above. Additional violations within any three-month period will be sent a citation without notice.
(d) Charge to be Included in Tax Bill. When the City has effected the removal or collection of such garbage, rubbish, refuse, litter, mattresses, furniture or other waste material, or has contracted for its removal, the actual cost of such removal plus accrued interest at the rate of eight percent per annum from the date of completion of the removal, shall be charged to the owner of such property until paid by such owner. The property owner shall be charged a minimum charge of two-hundred and seventy-five dollars ($275.00). In addition to the two hundred seventy-five dollar ($275.00) minimum charge, an additional charge of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) per man hour, (per man) will be charged until the waste, refuse or rubbish is removed from the property. The charges will also include any hauling or drive time per man hour required to remove the rubbish, litter, or refuse from the property. A bill will be posted in a conspicuous location on the property. Payment shall be made to the City of Richmond Heights within thirty (30) days of the date of the bill. Any bill that is not paid within thirty (30) days shall be charged an additional seventy-five dollar ($75.00) administrative fee each month the bill goes unpaid until the bill is placed on the property taxes of the property owner as a tax lien for collection by the Director of Finance.
(e) Charges Constitute Lien. Where the full amount of the charges to the City provided in subsection (d) herein is not paid by such owner within thirty days from the date of the completion of the removal, then such charges assessed against such property shall become a lien thereon and shall be collected in the same manner as other special assessments according to law.
(f) Nothing herein shall be construed to limit the authority of the Director of Law to undertake any action or to seek any other remedies or sanctions available.
(Ord. 103-2020. Passed 10-27-20.)