Louisiana § RS 33:5062 - Weed cutting in municipalities; abutting owner's liability; notice; waiver of notice

§ RS 33:5062. Weed cutting in municipalities; abutting owner's liability; notice; waiver of notice

A.  The governing authority of any municipality may enact ordinances requiring that property be maintained in a safe and sanitary condition, including ordinances providing for the cutting, destruction, or removal of noxious weeds or grass or other deleterious, unhealthful, or noxious growths on any sidewalks or banquettes and on any lot, place, or area within the municipality.  The charges, costs, and expenses incurred by the municipal governing authority in enforcing such ordinances, shall, to the extent of the actual cost thereof to the municipal governing authority, be a charge, cost, or expense of the property abutting the sidewalk or banquette or of the lot, place, or area, and the owner thereof.

B.  No such work shall be undertaken by the municipal governing authority pursuant to this Section until the owner of the lot, place, or area, or the owner of the abutting property where the weeds or growths are to be removed, as shown on the last assessment roll of the municipality, has an opportunity of doing the work himself within at least five days after notice has been given him by advertisement in the official journal of the municipality within which same is located for two consecutive days or after notice has been given him by registered mail, addressed in accordance with the tax rolls of the municipality.

C.  However, a municipal governing authority may undertake the cutting, destruction, or removal of noxious weeds or grass or other deleterious, unhealthful, or noxious growths on any property within the municipality on a monthly basis without the notice required in Subsection B of this Section if the property owner liable has been notified pursuant to said Subsection at any time during the immediately preceding twelve months and has failed to do the work himself after opportunity to do so.  However, prior to undertaking such work, the municipal governing authority shall file and record an affidavit, signed by the mayor of the municipality or his designee, at its administrative office.  Such affidavit shall include the following:

(1)  A description of the property sufficient to reasonably identify it.

(2)  A photograph of the property sufficient to reasonably identify its unsafe or unsanitary condition and to justify the necessity for cutting, destroying, or removing weeds, grass, or other noxious growths.

(3)  A statement that the property owner liable has within the past twelve months failed to do such work after notification and opportunity to do so pursuant to Subsection B of this Section.

Amended by Acts 1968, No. 482, §1; Acts 1978, No. 431, §1, eff. July 10, 1978; Acts 1979, No. 123, §1; Acts 1990, No. 42, §1; Acts 1991, No. 683, §1; Acts 1999, No. 335, §1; Acts 2001, No. 101, §1; Acts 2001, No. 949, §1; Acts 2001, No. 1159, §1, eff. June 29, 2001; Acts 2011, 1^st Ex. Sess., No. 20, §1, eff. June 12, 2011; Acts 2014, No. 164, §1.