The county hereby declares graffiti as defined in § 130.17 to be a nuisance, and as a nuisance, subject to abatement as provided herein:
(A) The county shall notify the property owner of the violation that graffiti has been placed upon their property, located in unincorporated Will County, and that the graffiti shall be removed within 60 days from the date of notification to the land owner.
(B) Upon written notification by the county, the owner of the property upon which the graffiti has been illegally placed, shall remove the graffiti within ten days from the date of notice. If property owner does not remove the graffiti within the time specified, the county, through its agents is authorized to enter upon the property of the owner and remove the graffiti, and the owner shall be subject to the reasonable costs of removal of the graffiti by the county. If these reasonable costs are not paid within two weeks of the receipt of the bill, a lien will be recorded with the County Recorder of Deeds against the property upon which the structure is located.
(C) The county shall remove graffiti from the exterior of private property if the owners inform the county of the presence of the graffiti, and of their inability to remove the graffiti from their property. The owner of the private property will be required to pay the county for the reasonable costs associated with the removal of graffiti. Owners must sign a statement authorizing the removal of the graffiti by the county, and must sign a release holding the county harmless from any claims or suits brought or damages pursuant to any adverse or injurious effects of chemicals, or from the actions of the county, or its employees to remove the graffiti.
(D) An extension of ten additional days in which graffiti must be removed may be granted by the County Executive or his or her designees upon request of the property owner.
(1980 Code, § 130.15) (Res. 00-231, passed 5-18-2000; Ord. 11-287, passed 8-18-2011)