(a) No owner or operator of any premises shall maintain or permit to be maintained at or on the exterior property areas of such premises any condition which deteriorates or debases the appearance of the neighborhood, reduces property values in the neighborhood, adversely alters the appearance and general character of the neighborhood, creates a fire, safety or health hazard, or is a public nuisance, including, but not limited to, the following:
(1) Broken or dilapidated fences, walls or other structures.
(2) Improperly installed or maintained public sidewalks, walks, driveways and driveway aprons, which are in a defective condition in any of the following listed particulars:
A. Any block having a crack with a vertical difference of three-fourths of an inch or more.
B. Adjoining sections of block, or any portion thereof, whose edges differ vertically by three-fourths of an inch or more.
C. Blocks having a transverse slope in excess of three-fourths of an inch per horizontal foot toward the street.
D. Blocks having a reverse slope toward property that impounds water to a depth of one- half of an inch or more.
E. Blocks having depressions that impound water to a depth of one-half of an inch or more.
F. Blocks having multiple cracks or any single crack larger than one-half inch in width extending for a linear distance of one foot.
G. Blocks having disintegrated or deteriorated areas.
H. Public sidewalks constructed of materials other than concrete or stone slab.
(3) Out of use or nonusable appliances or other household items, dilapidated automobiles or automobile parts.
(4) Rugs, rags or other materials hung on lines or in other places on such premises, which materials are not being used for general household or housekeeping purposes; broken, dilapidated or unusable furniture, mattresses or other household furnishings; temporary displays (storage), plastic materials, paints, miscellaneous coverings and/or any other materials, including those described in this section, placed at or on the premises in such a manner as to be patently unsightly, grotesque or offensive to the senses.
(5) Front, rear and side yard areas that have predominantly dead grass, trees, shrubbery, plantings or lack of landscape maintenance that significantly debase the property with respect to the overall appearance of other properties in the immediate area and that lack any form of suitable ground cover.
(6) Front, rear and side yard areas that are not kept free and clear from noxious weeds and rank vegetation.
(b) It is the intention of this section that the maximum amount of landscaping be maintained around each dwelling.
(c) Abatement by Owner or Occupant; Notice. A violation of division (a)(1), (3), (4), (5) or (6) of this section is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and the owner, occupant, person having charge or management of, or any person having an equitable or legal interest in such lot or parcel of land, upon written notice, served by the Commissioner of Building as provided in division (a) of this section, upon the owner, occupant, person having charge or management of, or any person having an equitable or legal interest in such lot or parcel of land, shall abate such nuisance by correcting said violation within a reasonable time as fixed in such notice. For purposes of this section, "reasonable time" is defined as 72 hours.
(d) Abatement by Director of Service. Whenever the Director of Service is informed by the Building Commissioner that a violation as described in division (a) of this section exists, and that the nuisance has not been abated within the time prescribed in the notice as provided in division (c) of this section, the Director of Service is authorized to abate the nuisance and submit a bill for the actual costs to the owner, occupant, person having charge and management of, or any person having an equitable or legal interest in the lot or parcel of land involved. If such costs are not paid as billed, the Director of Service shall report the costs to Council, which shall cause the costs to be collected from the property owner in the manner provided in Ohio R.C. 715.261.
(e) Service of Notice. The notice described in division (c) of this section may be served by delivering it personally upon or by mailing it to the owner, occupant, person having charge and management of, or any person having an equitable or legal interest in the lot or parcel of land involved, at the person's usual place of business or residence, by posting it in a conspicuous place on the lot or parcel of land involved; or by publishing it once in a newspaper of general circulation within the City if it cannot be served by any of the other ways mentioned herein.
(Ord. 40-96. Passed 11-25-96; Ord. 35-02. Passed 5-28-02; Ord. 40-03. Passed 5-27-03; Ord. 45-03. Passed 6-9-03.)