Cross References — As to dangerous buildings as a nuisance, see Ch. 505; as to prostitution houses deemed a nuisance, see § 210.1390.
[R.O. 1996 § 215.010]
A. 
The following are declared to be nuisances affecting health:
1. 
All decayed or unwholesome food offered for sale to the public, or offered to the public at no charge.
2. 
All diseased animals running at large.
3. 
All ponds or pools of stagnant water.
4. 
Carcasses of dead animals not buried or destroyed within twenty-four (24) hours after death.
5. 
Accumulations, wheresoever they may occur, of manure, rubbish, garbage, refuse and human and industrial, noxious or offensive waste, except the normal storage on a farm of manure for agricultural purposes.
6. 
Privy vaults or garbage cans which are not flytight, that is, privy vaults or garbage cans which do not prevent the entry of flies, insects and rodents.
7. 
The pollution of any well, cistern, spring, underground water stream, lake, canal, or body of water by sewage or industrial wastes, or other substances harmful to human beings.
8. 
Dense smoke, noxious fumes, gas and soot, or cinders in unreasonable quantities, or the presence of any gas, vapor, fume, smoke, dust or any other toxic substance on, in or emitted from the equipment of any premises in quantities sufficient to be toxic, harmful or injurious to the health of any employee or to any premises, occupant, or to any other person.
9. 
Common drinking cups, roller towels, combs, brushes or eating utensils in public or semipublic places where not properly sanitized after use.
10. 
Any vehicle used for septic tank cleaning which does not meet the requirements of this Chapter of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Gerald.
11. 
Any vehicle used for garbage or rubbish disposal which is not equipped with a watertight metal body and provided with a tight metal cover or covers and so constructed as to prevent any of the contents from leaking, spilling, falling or blowing out of such vehicle at any time, except while being loaded or not completely secured and covered so as to prevent offensive odors from escaping therefrom or exposing any part of the contents at any time.
12. 
Any and all infestations of flies, fleas, roaches, lice, ticks, rats, mice, fly maggots, mosquito larvae and hookworm larvae.
13. 
The keeping of animals and fowls in any area within the City not zoned for agricultural uses except pet cats and dogs, animals in public or licensed zoos, and farm animals in laboratories.
14. 
Unlicensed dumps, and licensed dumps not operated or maintained in compliance with the ordinances of the City of Gerald and the Statutes of the State of Missouri.
15. 
No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into a storm water system any waste materials, liquids, vapor, fat, gasoline, benzene, naphtha, oil or petroleum product, mud, straw, lawn clippings, tree limbs or branches, metal or plastic objects, rags, garbage or any other substance which is capable of causing an obstruction to the flow of the storm system or interfere with the proper operation of the system, or which will pollute the natural creeks or waterways.
16. 
All other acts, practices, conduct, business, occupation callings, trades, uses of property and all other things detrimental or certain to be detrimental to the health of the inhabitants of the City of Gerald.
B. 
Unlawful To Cause, Maintain Within One-Half Mile Of City. It is unlawful for any owner, lessee or occupant, or any agent, servant, representative or employee of any such owner, lessee or occupant, having control of any occupied lot or land or any part thereof in the City of Gerald, or within one-half (1/2) mile of the corporate limits of the City of Gerald, Missouri, to cause, permit or maintain a nuisance on any such lot or land. Additionally, it is unlawful for any person or his/her agent, servant, representative or employee to cause, or maintain a nuisance on the land or property of another, with or without permission.
Each day that a nuisance shall be maintained is a separate offense.
C. 
Authority To Abate Emergency Cases. In cases where it reasonably appears that there is an immediate danger to the health, safety or welfare of the public, due to the existence of a nuisance the Mayor or his/her designee shall have the authority to order the Chief of Police or other City Official to immediately abate the nuisance in an appropriate manner.
D. 
Abatement; Procedure Generally. Whenever the Board of Aldermen receives notification that a nuisance may exist, it shall proceed as follows, except as may be otherwise provided herein:
1. 
Notice.
[Ord. No. 825 § 3, 11-10-2016]
a. 
If the City Clerk or his/her designee has reason to believe that a nuisance is being maintained within the City, the City Clerk shall send written notice to the person causing, maintaining or permitting the same to forthwith remove, terminate or abate such nuisance within a reasonable time, not less than ten (10) days when required by law, as determined by the City Clerk after consideration of the nature of the nuisance and the actions necessary to remedy the situation. Such notice shall also state that upon failure to abate the condition causing the nuisance within said time period, the City shall have a hearing where all parties may be heard and present evidence as to whether the condition constitutes a nuisance.
b. 
All notices hereunder shall be given by first class United States mail or by posting a copy thereof on the property involved and shall include a statement of the condition constituting such nuisance and those actions necessary to remove, terminate or abate the same. Where the property is not owner-occupied, service of the notice shall be to the owner of the property and to any occupant of the property. The notice shall specifically describe each condition of the lot or land declared to be a public nuisance and identify what action will remedy the public nuisance.
c. 
The notice shall include a date, time, and place of the scheduled hearing no sooner than ten (10) days after such notice and include a statement that the hearing shall be deemed automatically canceled if the property owner abates the conditions described in the notice within the time specified in such notice and notifies the City Clerk of such abatement prior to the hearing date.
2. 
Such notice shall be signed by the Chief of Police and shall be served upon that person by delivering a copy thereof to the person, or by leaving a copy at his/her residence with some member of the family or household over fifteen (15) years of age, or upon any corporation by delivering the copy thereof to the president or to any other officer at any business office of the corporation within the City. If the notice cannot be given for the reason that the person named in the notice or his/her agent cannot be found in the City, of which fact the return upon such notice of the Officer serving the same shall be conclusive evidence, such notice shall be published in a daily newspaper for three (3) consecutive days, if a daily, or once if a weekly paper, giving at least ten (10) days' notice from the final publication date of the time fixed for the parties to appear before the Board.
3. 
If after hearing all the evidence the Board of Aldermen may determine that a nuisance exists, it may direct the Chief of Police, or other City Official to order the person to abate the nuisance within twenty (20) days or within such other time as the Board may deem reasonable. Such order shall be served in the manner provided in this Section for service of the order to show cause. The order may further provide that the appropriate City Official be directed to abate the nuisance if the order is not obeyed within the time period set by the Board, and that a special tax bill be issued for the costs of abating the nuisance.
4. 
If the order has not been obeyed within the time period set by the Board, the appropriate City Official shall proceed to abate the nuisance in the manner provided by the order of the Board, and the cost of same, if ordered by the Board, may be assessed as a special tax against the property so improved or upon which such work was done; and, if so ordered, the City Clerk shall cause a special tax bill therefor against the owner thereof when known, and if not known then against the unknown persons, and the certified bills of such assessment shall describe therein the property upon which the work was done.
5. 
The bills for the above work shall be recorded and shall be collected and paid as provided for the collection of other special tax bills and shall be a lien on the property.
[Ord. No. 825 § 3, 11-10-2016]
6. 
The cost of abating nuisances on private property shall be levied and assessed on each lot in proportion to the amount of work done and material used in abating the nuisance located on each such lot.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: R.O. 1996 § 215.020, Animal Waste Prohibited On Public And Private Property, was moved to Ch. 205, R.O. 1996 § 215.030, Open Storage Of Disabled And/Or Unlicensed Vehicles, was removed and R.O. 1996 § 215.031, Parking Prohibited For Certain Vehicles, was moved to Ch. 355 by the City during the 2020 recodification project. For similar regulations regarding abandoned property and vehicles, see now Ch. 217 and Ch. 395.
[R.O. 1996 § 215.040; Ord. No. 605 § 1, 5-24-2007]
A. 
Failure To Keep Weeds, High Grass And Other Vegetation Cut And Removed, A Nuisance. All persons owning or occupying any lot or tract of land in the City shall keep the weeds, high grass and other vegetation growing on such property cut and removed. Whenever such weeds, high grass or other vegetation shall attain the height of twelve (12) inches, it shall be deemed a public nuisance.
B. 
Unlawful To Maintain Such Nuisance. It shall be unlawful for any person to create or maintain a nuisance as defined in Subsection (A).
C. 
Liability. Whenever weeds, high grass or other vegetation in violation of Subsection (A) of this Section are allowed to grow on any part of any lot or ground within the City, the owner of the ground or, in case of joint tenancy, tenancy by entireties or tenancy in common, each owner thereof shall be liable.
D. 
Notice. The Hearing Officer shall give a hearing after four (4) days' notice thereof either personally or by United States mail to the owner or owners, or the owner's agents, or by posting such notice on the premises; thereupon, the Hearing Officer may declare the weeds, high grass or other vegetation to be a nuisance and order the same to be abated within five (5) days.
E. 
Disposition. In case the weeds, high grass or other vegetation are not cut down and removed within the five (5) days, the City shall have the weeds, high grass or other vegetation cut down and removed and shall certify the costs of same to the City Clerk.
F. 
Tax Bill. The City Clerk shall cause the certified cost to be included in a special tax bill or added to the annual real estate tax bill, at the collecting official's option, for the property and the certified cost shall be collected by the City Collector or other official collecting taxes in the same manner and procedure for collecting real estate taxes. If the certified cost is not paid, the tax bill shall be considered delinquent, and the collection of the delinquent bill shall be governed by the laws governing delinquent and back taxes. The tax bill from the date of its issuance shall be deemed a personal debt against the owner and shall also be a lien on the property until paid.
[R.O. 1996 § 215.050; Ord. No. 628 § 1, 4-10-2008; Ord. No. 733 § 1, 8-27-2013]
A. 
Any lot or land shall be a public nuisance if it has the presence of debris of any kind, including, but not limited to, weed cuttings, cut and fallen or hazardous trees and shrubs, overgrown vegetation and noxious weeds which are seven (7) inches or more in height, rubbish and trash, lumber not piled or stacked twelve (12) inches off the ground, rocks or bricks, tin, steel, parts of derelict cars or trucks, broken furniture, any flammable material which may endanger public safety or any material which is unhealthy or unsafe and declared to be a public nuisance.
B. 
When a public nuisance as described above exists, the Administrative Officer shall provide for service to the owner of the property and, if the property is not owner-occupied, to any occupant of the property a written notice specifically describing each condition of the lot or land declared to be a public nuisance, and which notice shall identify what action will remedy the public nuisance. Unless a condition presents an immediate, specifically identified risk to the public health or safety, the notice shall provide a reasonable time, not less than ten (10) days, in which to abate or commence removal of each condition identified in the notice. Written notice may be given by personal service or by first-class mail to both the occupant of the property at the property address and the owner at the last known address of the owner, if not the same.
C. 
Upon a failure of the owner to pursue the removal or abatement of such nuisance without unnecessary delay, the Administrative Officer may cause the condition which constitutes the nuisance to be removed or abated. If the Administrative Officer causes such condition to be removed or abated, the cost of such removal or abatement and the proof of notice to the owner of the property shall be certified to the City Clerk or officer in charge of finance who shall cause the certified cost to be included in a special tax bill or added to the annual real estate tax bill, at the collecting official's option, for the property and the certified cost shall be collected by the City Collector or other official collecting taxes in the same manner and procedure for collecting real estate taxes. If the certified cost is not paid, the tax bill shall be considered delinquent, and the collection of the delinquent bill shall be governed by the laws governing delinquent and back taxes. The tax bill from the date of its issuance shall be deemed a personal debt against the owner and shall also be a lien on the property from the date the tax bill is delinquent until paid.
[R.O. 1996 § 215.055; Ord. No. 724 § 1, 6-25-2013]
A. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to occupy any residence or any dwelling, or for any owner, manager, lessor or sublessor to allow any occupation of such property without water service.
B. 
Violation of this Section shall be deemed a nuisance as defined and regulated by Chapter 215 of this Code.