CHAPTER 423

An Act to amend and reenact § 15.1-11, as amended, of the Code of
Virginia and to amend the Code by adding a section numbered 15.1-
11.2, relating to empowering counties, cities and towns to enact cer-
tain ordinances to promote public health and safety. S 6

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Approved April 2, 1968

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 15.1-11, as amended, of the Code of Virginia be amended and
een and that the Code be amended by adding a section numbered

§ 15.1-11. County, city or town may provide for removal of trash,
garbage, etc., weeds and other foreign growth.—Any county, city or town
may, by ordinance, provide:

(1) That the owners of property therein shall, at such time or times
as the governing body may prescribe, remove therefrom any and all trash,
garbage, refuse, litter and other substances which might endanger the
health or safety of other residents of such county, city or town; or may,
whenever the governing body deems it necessary, after reasonable notice,
have such trash, garbage, refuse, litter and other like substances which
might endanger the health of other residents of the county, city or town,
removed by its own agents or employees, in which event the cost or ex-
penses thereof shall be chargeable to and paid by the owners of such
property and may be collected by the county, city or town as taxes and
levies are collected ;

(2) That the owners of vacant property therein shall cut the grass,
weeds and other foreign growth on such property or any part thereof
at such time or times as the governing body shall prescribe; or may,
whenever the governing body deems it necessary, after reasonable notice,
have such grass, weeds or other foreign growth cut by its agents or em-
ployees, in which event, the cost and expenses thereof shall be chargeable
to and paid by the owner of such property and may be collected by the
county, city or town as taxes and levies are collected; provided, however,
that no such ordinance adopted by any county shall have any force and
effect within the corporate limits of any town; provided, further, that no
such ordinance adopted by any county having a density of population of
less than five hundred per square mile shall have any force or effect except
within the boundaries of platted subdivisions; and

(3) That every charge authorized by this section with which the
owner of any such property shall have been assessed and which remains
unpaid shall constitute a lien against such property.

§ 15.1-11.2. The governing body of any county, city or town may,
by ordinance, provide:

(1) That the owners of property therein, shall at such time or
times as the governing body may prescribe, remove, repair or secure any
building, wall or any other structure which might endanger the public
health or safety of other residents of such county, city or town;

(2) That the governing body of such county, city or town through
its own agents or employees may remove, repair or secure any building,
wall or any other structure which might endanger the public health or
safety of other residents of such county, city or town, wherein the owner
of such property after reasonable notice and a reasonable time to do so,
has failed to remove, repair or secure said building, wall or other structure;

(3) That in the event the governing body of such county, city or
town, through its own agents or employees removes, repairs or secures
any building, wall or any other structure after complying with the notice
provisions of this section, the cost or expenses thereof shall be charge-
able to and paid by the owners of such property and may be collected
by the county, city or town as taxes and levies are collected:

That every charge authorized by this section with which the
owner of any such property shall have been assessed and which remains
unpaid shall constitute a lien against such property.