(A) It shall be unlawful for the owner of any real estate in the city to allow garbage, rubbish, or junk vehicles or more than one (1) unregistered or unlicensed operative vehicle to be present on the property.
(B) Upon a determination that any of these conditions set out in paragraph (A) of this section exist, any duly authorized employee of the city may issue a citation and order the offending items to be removed or otherwise remedied, and the order shall be conformed to by the owner of the property.
(C) If any duly authorized employee of the city, after diligent search, is unable to locate or determine the owner of any property upon which any of the above mentioned conditions exist, the city shall cause the citation or order to be published in a local newspaper for two (2) consecutive weeks.
(D) Upon failure of the owner to comply with the order or if the owner cannot be determined or located after diligent search and notice herein provided for, any duly authorized employee of the city may have any of the conditions set out in paragraph (A) of this section removed at the owner's expense. This expense may be enforced against the property, and the city shall have a lien on the real estate whereon the conditions exist, which may be filed in the City Clerk/Treasurer's Office, and which shall be added to and become and form part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon such lot or land and shall bear interest at the same rate as taxes and shall be collected and enforced by the same officer and in the same manner as taxes.
(E) For purposes of this section, the term "junk vehicle" shall mean any vehicle which is mechanically incapable of being operated for at least ten (10) consecutive days immediately prior to the issuance of the citation described herein.
(1986 Code, Am. Ord. 97-01-02, passed 1-2-97; Am. Ord. 2000-04-06(D), passed 4-6-00; Am. Ord. 2003-07-17(B), passed 7-17-03; Am. Ord. 2013-06-20(A), passed 6-20-13)