§45-17A-81. Abatement of weeds.

(a) All weeds growing upon streets or sidewalks or upon private property within the city limits of Tuscumbia which bear seeds of a wingy or downy nature or attain such large growth as to become a fire menace when dry, or which are otherwise noxious or dangerous, and any accumulation of trash, rubbish, junk, or debris, or any unsightly or dangerous walls, or any abandoned construction of any kind or nature, or motor vehicles not in usable condition, or any debris of a burned building, or any abandoned or unused swimming pool, or any abandoned wells or cisterns, may be declared to be a public nuisance by the city governing body, and thereafter abated as provided in this section.

(b) Whenever any officer or employee of the City of Tuscumbia charged with the responsibility shall report to the city governing body the existence of any condition enumerated in subsection (a), the city governing body may, by resolution, if the proof be satisfactory, declare the same to be a public nuisance. The resolution shall refer to the street by the name under which it is commonly known, and describe the property upon which or in front of which the nuisance exists by giving a legal description thereof; and no other description of the property shall be required. Any number of streets, sidewalks, or parcels of private property, may be included in one and the same resolution.

(c)(1) After the passage of the resolution, the city governing body shall cause to be conspicuously posted in front of the property on which or in front of which such nuisance exists, at not more than 100 feet in distance apart, but not less than two in all, notices headed "Notice to Remove Public Nuisance," such heading to be in words not less than one inch in height and substantially in the following form:

"NOTICE TO REMOVE PUBLIC NUISANCE

"Notice is hereby given that on the __________ day of __________, 2___, the (name of the governing body) passed a resolution declaring that a public nuisance exist upon or in front of the property on __________ (street) in the __________ (city), and more particularly described in the resolution, and that the same constitutes a public nuisance which must be abated by its removal and the nuisance will be abated by the municipal authorities, in which case the cost of such removal shall be assessed upon the lots and lands from which or in front of which such public nuisance is removed, and such cost will constitute a lien upon such lots or lands until paid. Reference is hereby made to the resolution for further particulars.

"All property owners having any objections to the proposed removal of the public nuisance are hereby notified to attend a meeting of the (name of governing body) of the (city or town) to be held (give date), when their objections will be heard and given due consideration.

"Dated this __________ day of __________, 2___.

"Name of City __________

"By __________ City Clerk"

(2) The notice shall be posted at least five days prior to the time for hearing objections by the governing body of the city. In addition, a notice shall be mailed to the owner of the property at least five days before the meeting at which objections will be heard. Such notice mailed to the person last assessing the property for taxes according to the records of the county tax assessor shall be conclusively presumed to be adequate and to comply with the requirements for such notice as provided herein.

(d) At the time stated in the notices, the governing body of the city shall hear and consider all objections or protests, if any, to the proposed removal of the nuisance, and may continue the hearing from time to time. Upon the conclusion of the hearing the governing body, by motion or resolution, shall allow or overrule any or all objections, and if the objections are overruled with respect to any piece of property described the governing body shall be deemed to have acquired jurisdiction to proceed and perform the work of removal with respect to such piece of property, and the decision of the governing body on the matter shall be deemed final and conclusive.

(e) After final action has been taken by the governing body on the overruling of any protests or objections with respect to any described piece of property, or in case no protests or objections have been received, the city governing body, by motion or resolution, shall order the abatement of the nuisance by having the nuisance referred to removed, and all necessary employees of such municipality are hereby expressly authorized to enter upon private property for that purpose. Any property owner shall have the right to have any such nuisance removed at his or her own expense providing the same is done prior to the arrival of the employees of the city to do the same.

(f) The city shall keep an account of the cost of abating such nuisance in front of or on each separate lot or parcel of land where the work is done by it or its employees, and shall render an itemized report in writing to the city governing body showing the cost of removing such on each separate lot, or in front thereof, or both; provided, that before the report is submitted to the governing body, copy of the same shall be mailed to the owner or owners of the property at least three days before the report shall be submitted to the governing body for confirmation.

(g) At the time fixed for receiving and considering the report, the city governing body shall hear the same, together with any objections which may be raised by any of the property owners liable to be assessed for the work of abating the nuisance and thereupon make such modifications in the report as they deem necessary, after which by motion or resolution the report shall be confirmed. The amounts of the cost for abating such nuisance in front of or upon the various parcels of land mentioned in the report shall constitute special assessments against the respective parcels of land and as thus made and confirmed shall constitute a lien on the property for the amount of such assessments, respectively. After confirmation of the report, a copy shall be turned over to the appropriate official or employee of the city who is charged with the collection of taxes or assessments, whereupon it shall be the duty of the official or employee to add the amounts of the respective assessments to the next regular bills for taxes levied against the respective lots and parcels of land for municipal purposes, and thereafter the amounts shall be collected at the same time and in the same manner as ordinary municipal taxes are collected, and shall be subject to the same penalties and the same procedure under foreclosure and sale in case of delinquency as provided for ordinary municipal taxes.

(Act 81-393, p. 620, §§1-7.)