36.01.00 Cutting and Removing of Grass, Weeds and Other Rank, Poisonous Or Harmful Vegetation

Chapter 36

WEEDS

36.01.00 Cutting and Removing of Grass, Weeds and other Rank, Poisonous or Harmful Vegetation.

It shall be 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 or unoccupied lot or land or any part hereof in the City of Sandusky to permit or maintain on any such lot or land or along the sidewalk, street or alley adjacent to the same, between the property line and the curb or middle of the alley or for ten feet outside of the property line and the curb or middle of the alley or for ten feet outside of the property line if there be no curb, any growth or weeds, grass or other rank vegetation to a greater height than eight inches or any accumulation of dead weeds, grass, brush, or other refuse or rubbish which shall constitute a nuisance or fire hazard. It shall also be unlawful for any person or persons to cause, suffer or allow poison ivy, ragweed or other poisonous plants or plants detrimental to health to grow on any such lot or land in such manner that any part of the ivy, ragweed or other poisonous or harmful weed shall extend upon, overhand or border any public place or also weed, pollen or other poisonous particles or emanations there from to be carried through the air into any public place.

36.02.00 Duty of Owner, Lessee or Occupant

It shall be the duty of any owner, lessee or occupant of any lot or land to cut and remove or cause to be cut and removed or otherwise destroyed all such weeds, grass or other rank poisonous or harmful vegetation as well as any other refuse or rubbish which shall constitute a nuisance or fire hazard as often as may be necessary to comply with Section 1 of this chapter.

36.03.00 Notice

36.03.01 Publication

It shall be the duty of the City Clerk to give notice to all owners, lessees or occupants or any agents, servants, representative or employees of any such owner, lessee or occupant having control of any occupied or unoccupied lot or land or any part thereof in the City of Sandusky by annually printing the following notice for the first two weeks in May in the official newspaper of the City:

Notice to Owners, Possessors or Occupiers of land or any person or persons firm or corporation having charge of any land in the City of Sandusky, State of Michigan:

Notice is hereby given that all weeds, grass and other ground cover and rank vegetation growing on any land in the City of Sandusky, County of Sanilac, must not exceed eight (8) inches in height. Failure to comply with this notice shall make the parties so failing liable for the cost of cutting, inspection and administration as a debt to the city, being collectable by judgment or to be levied in the same manner as other taxes are levied and collected.

Sandusky City Clerk

36.03.02 Tagging the property

Prior to remediation by the City, the City Ordinance Officer of the City of Sandusky shall adhere a copy of the notice of violation to every residence in the City of Sandusky whereon noxious weeds or illegal grass or other ground cover are growing. The notice will specify the date to which the residence will be mowed by the City of Sandusky at the expense of the owner.

36.04.00 Cost of Remediation

The City Staff shall keep an accurate account of the expense incurred in carrying out the provisions of Section 3.00 of this Chapter with respect to every parcel of land entered upon. The amount of the expense incurred in the destruction of weeds and removing refuse or rubbish shall constitute a debt to the City of Sandusky by the persons so failing to comply with this chapter, and the city may maintain an appropriate action in the court of law for the collection thereof.

36.05.00 Assessments against Property

In the event the cost of cutting grass and/or destroying such weeds or the removing of such refuse and rubbish remains uncollected or unpaid on the first day of September following the cutting of such weeds or the removal of refuse or rubbish said unpaid amount shall be returned by the City Clerk to the treasurer of the city and the same together with the aforesaid additional charges shall be placed upon the special tax roll next in course of preparation as a charge against the property upon which such order was carried out, and the same shall become a lien upon said land and shall be assessed and collected and the same when collected shall be paid into the general fund to reimburse the outlay there from aforesaid.

36.06.00 Penalty

If any owner, possessor or occupier of land or any person, firm or corporation having charge of any lands in the City of Sandusky shall knowingly allow the aforesaid noxious weeds to grow thereon or shall allow refuse and rubbish to accumulate and become a nuisance in violation of this chapter shall be responsible for a $100.00 charge with a minimum of $50.00 for the first offense plus a $100.00 show up charge (example: show up fee $100.00 plus $100.00 for an hour of service equals a total bill of $200.00 for first offense). The cost for the 2nd offense or higher, the charge will be a set $300.00 each and every time exceeding the 1st offense.

36.07.00 Definition

The word “person” as used in this chapter shall mean and include one or more persons of either sex, natural persons, corporation, partnerships, associations, joint stock companies, societies and all other entities of any kind capable of being sued.

Sandusky Code 1983 amd 00-1Chapter 36 – Page 1Weeds & Grass