Township of Cedar Grove, NJ Article I Removal from Sidewalks

[Adopted by 8-2-1915, Ch. 20, Art. 2, of the former Revised Ordinances]

§ 100-1 Removal required; service and contents of notice.

A. The owner, tenant or occupant of lands abutting or bordering upon the public streets of the Township shall remove or cause to be removed from the abutting paved sidewalks of such streets grass, weeds, dirt, refuse and other impediments, and from the sidewalk right-of-way area of such streets weeds, refuse, debris and other impediments therefrom, within three days after receipt by such owner, tenant or occupant of written notice to remove the same.

B. Such notice may be served upon the owner, tenant or occupant either personally or by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested. If the notice is served by registered or certified mail, the three-day period within which such removal shall be accomplished shall be deemed to have commenced to run from the date of the return receipt obtained from the postal authorities for the delivery of such registered or certified notice.

C. Every such notice shall, in addition to requiring the removal as aforesaid, warn the owner, tenant or occupant of the lands to which it refers that failure to accomplish such removal will result in the removal by or under the direction of the Township Engineer. The notice shall also state that in the event of the removal by or under the direction of the Township Engineer, the cost of such removal shall forthwith become a lien upon the said lands and shall be added to and become a part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon the same, to bear interest at the same rate and to be collected as in the case of such taxes.

§ 100-2 Removal upon noncompliance; assessment of cost.

A. In cases where the owner, tenant or occupant shall have neglected or refused to remove such grass, weeds, dirt, refuse or other impediments within three days after notice to remove the same as provided in § 100-1, the Township Engineer shall remove or cause to be removed under his direction the said grass, weeds, dirt, refuse or other impediments.

B. The Township Engineer shall certify to the Council the cost of said removal. The Council shall examine such certificate of cost and, if it finds said certificate to be correct, shall cause such cost to be charged against the lands abutting or bordering as aforesaid. In the event that such cost is excessive, the Council shall cause the reasonable cost thereof to be charged against said lands. The amount so charged shall thereupon become a lien and tax upon said lands and be added to and be a part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied thereon, and enforced and collected with interest at the same rate as other taxes by the same officers and in the same manner as other taxes.

§ 100-3 Violations and penalties.

[Amended 12-17-1962; 7-30-1984 by Ord. No. 84-222]

A. Any person who violates any provision of this article shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine not exceeding $1,000 or by imprisonment for a term not exceeding 90 days, or both. A separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.

B. The imposition and collection of any penalty imposed by the provisions of Subsection A of this section shall not constitute any bar to the right of the Township to collect the cost of removal as provided in § 100-2.