§ 14-3. Abatement.

(a)

Whenever the trustees shall direct, the marshal or town clerk shall immediately thereafter notify any owner of property, his agent or any person having charge of such property, in writing, that an order has been made by the trustees requiring the removal of any refuse or garbage from such property or premises within 15 days after notice in writing, served personally or by registered or certified mail. If such property owner, agent or person having charge of such property shall not remove such refuse in accordance with the requirement of such order, the trustees may order that such refuse be removed by the town or other agent of the town and, by resolution adopted for that purpose, assess the entire cost thereof, including costs of inspection and collection, against the property or premises.

(b)

The amount so assessed shall be a lien upon such property until the same is paid and shall have priority over all liens except the liens for general taxes and prior special assessments. In case of failure to pay such assessment within ten days after the same shall be made, the town clerk shall cause a notice of such assessment to be mailed, by first class mail, to the owner. In addition, said notice shall be published once each week for two successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the town, the last publication to be not less than one week prior to the date of the hearing. Said notice of assessment shall advise the property owner of the amount assessed against the property, and shall designate a time and place when the trustees will hear any objections as to the correctness of the amount so assessed.

(c)

If the assessment which is finally determined by the trustees to be due and payable is not paid within ten days after the hearing at which it was considered, the town clerk shall certify the final assessment to the county treasurer to be placed on the tax list for the current year, to be collected in the same manner as other taxes are collected, with an added ten percent to defray the cost of collection.

(Code 1987, § 12-1-3)