§ 152-12. General responsibilities., Chapter 152. Property Maintenance, Part II. General Legislation, Code of Ordinances, Wyckoff

Without limitation by the foregoing, it shall be the duty and responsibility of owners, occupants or operators or holders of mortgages to keep the exterior of all premises structurally sound, in good general repair and sufficiently maintained to an extent so as to prevent and avoid conditions that violate the purposes and provisions of this chapter.

Duty to remove after notice. Whenever the presence upon any lands within the Township of Wyckoff of brush, weeds, dead and dying trees, stamps, roots, obnoxious growths, filth, garbage, trash and debris, overgrown and unsightly landscaping, lawns, hedges and bushes is found to exist on property in violation of the purposes and provisions of this chapter or is found to be or likely to be inimical to the public health, safety and general welfare or likely to constitute a fire hazard, the owner, tenant, occupant, operator or holder of mortgage upon such lands shall remove therefrom any such substance or violation within the periods provided for herein in § 152-14. Service of the notice of violation shall be made upon such owner, occupant, tenant, operator or mortgagee as provided in § 152-14 or by certified mail, return receipt requested, and regular mail addressed to the last known post office address.

Failure to comply; removal by Township. In cases where the owner, occupant, tenant, operator or holder of mortgage shall have neglected or refused to remove the substance described in this chapter in the manner and within the time provided in the enforcement officer's notice, the enforcement officer shall remove the substance or shall cause the same to be removed under his direction.

Cost of removal as lien; collection. The enforcement officer shall certify the costs thereof to the Township Committee and shall provide notice thereof to the owner, occupant, tenant, operator or holder of mortgage, including the mortgagee, by certified mail, returned receipt requested, and regular mail to their last known addresses. Upon receipt of the certificate, the Township Committee shall examine it and, if found correct, shall cause the costs as shown thereon to be charged against the lands upon which the violation existed. The amount so charged shall forthwith become a lien upon such lands and shall be added to and become, in form, part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon such lands. Such amount shall bear interest at the same rate as taxes and shall be collected and enforced by the same officers and in the same manner as taxes.

The provisions of this section shall not apply to farmland, pastureland, grazing land, natural or unlandscaped areas and undeveloped tracts.