§ 10-117.3 Remedies for failure to remove graffiti from certain premises.
AC § 10-117.3
a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings: 1. "Graffiti" means any letter, word, name, number, symbol, slogan, message, drawing, picture, writing or other mark of any kind visible to the public from a public place that is drawn, painted, chiseled, scratched, or etched on a commercial building or residential building, or any portion thereof, including fencing, that is not consented to by the owner of the commercial building or residential building. There shall be a rebuttable presumption that such letter, word, name, number, symbol, slogan, message, drawing, picture, writing or other mark of any kind is not consented to by the owner. Such presumption may be rebutted by the owner informing the city that the owner consents to the marking and intends that it remain on the building.
2."Commercial building" means any building that is used, or any building a portion of which is used, for buying, selling or otherwise providing goods or services, or for other lawful business, commercial, professional services or manufacturing activities.
3."Residential building" means any building containing one or more dwelling units.
4."Public place" means a place to which the public or a substantial group of persons has access including, but not limited to, any highway, street, road, sidewalk, parking area, plaza, shopping area, place of amusement, playground, park, beach or transportation facility. b. Duty to keep property free of graffiti. The owner of every commercial building and residential building shall keep and cause to be kept such building free of all graffiti. c. Availability of city funds; graffiti removal. Subject to the availability of annual appropriations, an agency or agencies designated by the mayor shall provide graffiti removal services to abate graffiti on commercial buildings and residential buildings without charge to the property owner. The owner of any commercial or residential building may request that such agency or agencies remove or conceal graffiti from such building through the city's graffiti removal services. d. Notification to owner of nuisance. If the owner of a commercial or residential building is in violation of subdivision b of this section, the city shall notify the owner of such building that the building has been determined to be a nuisance and that, after thirty-five days from the date of such notice, or after fifty days from the date of such notice if such owner has requested an extension within the initial thirty-five day period, unless such owner abates the nuisance by removing or concealing the graffiti and notifies the city of such abatement or informs the city that the owner consents to the marking and intends that it remain on the building, the owner shall be deemed to have given permission to the city and/or its contractors or agents to enter or access the property and use the means it determines appropriate to abate the nuisance by removing or concealing the graffiti. Such permission shall not be deemed to include permission to enter any commercial or residential building. e. Content of notice.
1.The notice that the property has been determined to be a nuisance as a result of graffiti on such property shall be provided (a) to the owner of a commercial or residential building by mailing a copy of such notice to the address of such building, if any, appearing in the latest assessment roll, (b) to the owner of record at the address provided by such owner to the commissioner of finance for communications from the commissioner of finance, and (c) if the address filed with the department of housing preservation and development in compliance with article two of subchapter four of chapter two of title twenty-seven of this code is different than the addresses described in subparagraphs (a) and (b) of this paragraph, to the person registered with the department of housing preservation and development as the owner or agent of the premises, at the address filed with such department in compliance with article two of subchapter four of chapter two of title twenty-seven of this code.
