[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Port Jervis as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Housing standards — See Ch. 319.
Tree maintenance and removal — See Ch. 492.
[Adopted 7-27-1964 as part of §§ 13-9 through 13-11 of the 1964 Code of Ordinances (Ch. 65 of the 1981 Code)]
A. 
Height regulated. 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 thereof in the City, to permit or maintain on any such lot or land or on 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 10 feet outside the property line if there be no curb, any growth of weeds, grass or other rank vegetation to a greater height than nine inches on the average, or any accumulation of dead weeds, grass or brush.
[Amended 11-10-1997 by L.L. No. 7-1997]
B. 
Poisonous plants prohibited. It shall also be unlawful for any such 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 such ivy, ragweed or other poisonous or harmful weed shall extend upon, overhang or border any public place, or allow the seed, pollen or other poisonous particles or emanations therefrom to be carried through the air into any public place.
[Amended 11-10-1997 by L.L. No. 7-1997]
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 all weeds, grass or other rank, poisonous or harmful vegetation as often as may be necessary to comply with the provisions of § 417-1, provided that cutting and removing such weeds, grass and vegetation at least once in every two weeks between May 15 and September 15 shall be deemed to be a compliance with this section.
[Amended 9-28-1981 by L.L. No. 4-1981; 8-23-1999 by L.L. No. 2-1999]
If the provisions of §§ 417-1 and 417-2 are not complied with, the Building Official of the City of Port Jervis may elect to do one of the following:
A. 
Serve written notice, either personally or by mail, upon the owner, lessee or occupant or any person having the care and/or control of any such lot or land to comply with the provisions of § 417-1 and/or 417-2. If the person upon whom the notice is served fails, neglects or refuses to cut and remove or to cause to be cut and removed such weed, grass or other vegetation within five days after receipt of such notice, or if no person can be found in the City who either is or claims to be the owner of said lot or land or who represents or claims to represent such owner, the Building Official shall cause such weeds, grass and/or other vegetation to be cut and removed. The actual cost for such cutting and removal, plus 25% for inspection and other additional costs in connection therewith, shall be certified by the Building Official to the City Clerk-Treasurer and shall there upon become and be a lien upon the property and shall become and form a part of the taxes next to be assessed and levied upon such lot or land and shall bear interest at the same rate as taxes and shall be collected and enforced by the same officer and in the same manner as taxes.
B. 
Issue a court appearance ticket to the owner, lessee or occupant or any person having the care and/or control of said lot or land alleging a violation of §§ 417-1 and/or 417-2 and requiring a court appearance to defend against same.
[Added 8-23-1999 by L.L. No. 2-1999]
Any person who shall be found to have violated § 417-3B of this chapter shall be guilty of a violation and shall be subject to a fine of between $100 and $250 for each offense.
[Adopted 4-25-2016 by L.L. No. 11-2016]
Use of blacktop or other road materials, such as concrete, gravel, chips, and crushed stone, shall be prohibited as cover for front yards on residential lots in the City of Port Jervis. Blacktopping or other road materials shall not be permitted between the front line and the front elevation of the principal building in all residential districts. This prohibition shall not apply to driveways or walkways from the front sidewalk to the front door or other doors of residential buildings. The City actions for noncompliance with this section and penalties for offenses of this section shall be the same as those set forth in §§ 417-3 and 417-4 of Article I of Chapter 417 of the Port Jervis City Code. "Front yard" is defined in § 535-4 of Article II of Chapter 535 of the Port Jervis City Code.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See the definition of "yard, front" in said section.