(A) Liability for costs. Upon proper notice and opportunity to be heard, the owner or person in charge of the junk vehicle or other abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle or boat on public or private property shall be liable for all expenses reasonably incurred by the removal and disposition.
(B) Collection of costs.
(1) Upon failure of the owner or occupant of property on which a junk vehicle has been removed by the town to pay the unrecovered expense incurred by the town in such removal, the amount of the unrecovered cost may be added to the municipal utility bills directed to the occupants of the private property from which the junk vehicle was removed and may be recovered in the same manner of such utility bills.
(2) The town may collect any reasonable sum due for the expense of removal or sale by deducting same from the sale proceeds of any vehicle sold under the provisions of this subchapter, after deducting therefrom proper fees for storage and sale thereof.
(3) If the private property is not served by the municipal utilities, or if collection efforts are not successful, the costs may be certified by the town’s Clerk-Treasurer to the County Clerk, who shall add the same to the ad valorem taxes assessed against the property, until paid, and shall be collected in the same manner as ad valorem taxes against the property and, when collected, shall be paid to the town.
(Prior Code, § 5-3-5)