39-1813.

Hedges and trees; failure of landowner to trim; procedure; notice; hearing; order.

Whenever any landowner or his agent shall neglect to trim such hedge fence, trees, or undergrowth as provided in section 39-1812, it shall be the duty of the person in charge of county road maintenance in the area in which such hedge fence, trees, or undergrowth is located, to report the same in writing simultaneously to the county attorney and to the county board, giving the location of the hedge fence, trees, or undergrowth and declaring the same to be a public nuisance. The county attorney shall, upon receipt of such written notice, immediately serve written notice upon the owner of the hedge fence, trees, or undergrowth, or upon his agent, to have such hedge fence, trees, or undergrowth, trimmed and the trimmings burned or removed within ten days. Upon failure of the landowner or his agent to comply with the notice of the county attorney within ten days, the county attorney shall give notice in writing to the landowner or his agent, fixing a date for a hearing before the county board on the complaint previously entered, that the landowner or his agent is maintaining a public nuisance by failing to trim said hedge fence, trees, or undergrowth in accordance with the provisions of section 39-1812. The notice shall fix a time not earlier than the next regular meeting of the county board, and in any event not less than five days after the date of the notice, when the owner or agent may appear before the county board and a hearing shall be had upon the matter. The county attorney shall appear at the hearing on behalf of the county for the abatement of the alleged public nuisance maintained by the owner or agent of the land upon which the hedge fence, trees, or undergrowth may be found. If at the hearing it shall appear that the hedge fence, trees, or undergrowth named in the notice are in a condition contrary to the provisions of section 39-1812, the county board shall forthwith and at once declare such hedge fence, trees, or undergrowth a public nuisance, and make an immediate order for the trimming of the same in accordance with the provisions of section 39-1812. If the owner or agent shall neglect or fail to comply with the order within thirty days after receipt of such written notice, the county board shall cause the same to be done. The cost shall be paid from the general fund and a statement of such cost shall be recorded by the county board with the county clerk, giving a proper description of the lands whereon such hedge fence, trees, or undergrowth was trimmed, and the county clerk shall include such costs in making the county tax lists as an assessment and charge against such lands, which charge shall be a lien upon said lands and be collected the same as all other taxes regularly levied. Nothing in sections 39-1812 and 39-1813 shall be deemed to abridge the right of appeal from the finding of the county board to the district court.