Northfield Center Legal Notice: All Property Owners

TO ALL PROPERTY OWNERS OF NORTHFIELD CENTER TOWNSHIP:

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT THE FOLLOWING TOWNSHIP ZONING RESOLUTION AND CORRESPONDING SUMMIT COUNTY ORDINANCE IS IN EFFECT IN THE TOWNSHIP OF NORTHFIELD CENTER AND WILL BE ENFORCED.

SECTION 430.06 OF THE NORTHFIELD CENTER ZONING RESOLUTION, LANDSCAPING AND MAINTENANCE OF YARDS ALONG WITH SUMMIT COUNTY ORDINANCE No. 2011-364 ADOPTED 12-12-11 AMENDING SECTION 521.10, NOXIOUS WEEDS AND RANK VEGETATION.

1. It is hereby determined that noxious and/or uncultivated weeds, and grass growing at a height in excess of eight inches or higher and/or landscaping that is damaged dead or overgrown including trees, shrubs or gardens, upon any improved property or if it poses a health and safety hazard to surrounding properties even though it might be on an unimproved property within the Township after the first day of May of each year are a public nuisance.  For purposes herein, property that has constructed upon it, or in proximity to it, any building or similar structure used or intended to be used as the residence or domicile of persons or as a place of business where persons are present during working hours or any property in a residential subdivision/development to which is extended any improvement required by the Subdivision Regulations, shall be considered improved property.  The area designated as the road right-of-way on undeveloped property shall also be maintained in a like manner by the property owner.
2. The Township is publishing this determination in a newspaper of local circulation and shall make demand that all owners of improved property, and owners of unimproved property for the road right-of-ways in the Township, regularly remove weeds and cut grass, along with maintaining the landscaping on their property which includes removing all damaged, dead or fallen trees and trimming overgrown shrubs, upon their properties during the ensuing months of the year, and maintain the grass below a height of eight inches.
3. Should any weeds, grass or landscaping defined above be found on any improved property or unimproved property in the road right-of-way or determined as a health and safety hazard on any unimproved property within the Township, after the foregoing publication has been completed, the Zoning Inspector shall cause a written notice to be posted on the property and/or with a certified letter of citation to be sent to the owner of record on the tax duplicate lessee, agent or tenant in charge of such land, notifying him that the weeds and/or grass are growing or landscaping is not maintained on such lands and that they must be cut, destroy, trimmed or removed within 5 Days after the service of such notice.  The posted notice on the property will serve as the date of the start of the 5 days. If the owner, lessee, agent or tenant having charge of the lands fails to comply with the above notice, the Zoning Inspector shall cause all weeds herein to be removed, grass to be cut, landscaping to be trimmed and damaged or dead trees or shrubs to be cut, trimmed and/or removed at the expense of the Township.  Thereupon, the expense of all necessary work, including but not limited to cutting, mowing, raking, applying weed killer, and removing debris along with administrative fees involved shall be billed to the property owner by certified mail.  Upon his failure to reimburse the Township this amount within thirty days thereafter, the Township Fiscal Officer shall make written return to the County Auditor of the Zoning Inspector’s action with a statement of the charges for the services, including all services referred to above, the fees of the officers who made the service, the notice and return, and a proper description of the premises, and a request that all such cost and fees be entered upon the tax duplicate and a lien upon such lands from and after the date of the entry which shall be collected as other taxes and be returned to the Township according to law.

(Northfield Center Zoning Resolution effective 1-4-01)

TIM BLACK

INTERIM ZONING INSPECTOR

NORTHFIELD CENTER TWP

Judy Flauto
Township Secretary