742 LAWS OF MARYLAND [CH. 400

CHAPTER 400

(House Bill 778)

AN ACT to repeal and re-enact, with amendments, Sec-
tion 8 of Chapter 142 of the Acts of 1949, to empower
the Mayor and Common Council of Forest Heights,
whenever the owner or person in charge of any unim-
proved lot or vacant premises shall fail, after written
notice, to remove any menace to the public health or
safety arising from the growth of weeds, the accumula-
tion of refuse, the presence of stagnant water or com-
bustible material, to enter upon the premises by its
officers and agents and cause such menace to be abated;
to require notice of the reasonable costs incurred to be
delivered or mailed to the person in charge of the prop-
erty and to the person in whose name the property is
assessed for taxation and if such costs be not paid within
sixty days to authorize the Mayor and Common Council
of Forest Heights to recover the costs by civil action,
or after written notice, published advertisement, and
hearing to assess the costs and advertising expense as a
special tax against the property; to provide for the col-
lection of the special tax; and to declare such special
tax assessment a lien against the property from the
date of assessment until paid and providing for a refer-
endum thereon.

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of
Maryland, That Section 8 of Chapter 142 of the Acts of
1949 be and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with
amendments, to read as follows:

8. (a) The Mayor and Town Council may provide by
ordinance for the good government of the town, for the
preservation of the peace and good order therein, and for
securing to the residents of said town all rights of persons
and property to which they are by law entitled, for the sur-
veying, grading, paving, repairing, draining, laying out,
extending, opening, closing, straightening, or relocating*
any of the streets, sidewalks or alleys in said town, and
may condemn or purchase the right-of-way for any street
or alley which it may determine shall be opened for the

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EXPLANATION: Italics indicate new matter added to existing law.

[Brackets] indicate matter stricken from existing law.
CAPITALS indicate amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken out of bill.