(A) Upon the first inspection of the Fire Code Official, a warning will be issued for any violations cited. Upon the second and all subsequent visits, the penalties designated below will be enforced.
(B) Fire Code Officials of the Fire Department are empowered to issue notices of violation when such individuals have reasonable cause to believe that any person has violated any provision of the North Carolina State Fire/Building Code. The notice of violation may be delivered in person to the violator, or, if the violator cannot be readily found, the notice of violation may be mailed. The notice of violation shall specify the penalty to be imposed on the violator and shall direct the violator to within 15 days pay the penalty or, alternatively, to pay the penalty by mail.
(C) If the violator does not pay the penalty within 15 days after issuance of the notice of violation, a delinquency penalty of $50 shall be added to the amount specified in the notice of violation, and notice of the delinquency penalty shall be delivered or mailed to the violator. The delinquency notice shall also inform the violator that the penalties will be enforced by civil action if the specified penalties are not paid within five days after the date of the delinquency notice.
(D) If the penalties are not paid within the time allowed, the town may recover those amounts by a civil action in the nature of a debt. The town may also enforce this section by an appropriate equitable remedy issuing from a court of competent jurisdiction.
(E) Nothing in this section shall preclude prosecution for a criminal offense where appropriate.
(Ord. 11-O-255, passed 2-14-2011)