Sec. 2. (a) The trustee of each township, the county highway superintendent, the Indiana department of transportation, or other officer in control of the maintenance of a highway shall between January 1 and April 1 of each year, examine all hedges, live fences, natural growths along highways, and other obstructions described in section 1 of this chapter in their respective jurisdictions. If there are hedges, live fences, other growths, or obstructions along the highways that have not been cut, trimmed down, and maintained in accordance with this chapter, the owner shall be given written notice to cut or trim the hedge or live fence and to burn the brush trimmed from the hedge or live fence and remove any other obstructions or growths.

(b) The notice required under subsection (a) must be served by reading the notice to the owner or by leaving a copy of the notice at the owner's usual place of residence.

(c) If the owner is not a resident of the township, county, or state where the hedge, live fence, or other obstructions or growth is located, the notice shall be served upon the owner's agent or tenant residing in the township. If an agent or a tenant of the owner does not reside in the township, the notice shall be served by mailing a copy of the notice to the owner, directed to the owner's last known post office address.

(d) If the owner, agents, or tenants do not proceed to cut and trim the fences and burn the brush trimmed from the fences or remove any obstructions or growths within ten (10) days after notice is served, the township trustee, county highway superintendent, or Indiana department of transportation shall immediately:

(1) cause the fences to be cut and trimmed or obstructions or growths removed in accordance with this chapter; and

(2) burn the brush trimmed from the fences.

All expenses incurred under this subsection shall be assessed against and become a lien upon the land in the same manner as road taxes.

(e) The township trustee, county highway superintendent, or Indiana department of transportation having charge of the work performed under subsection (d) shall prepare an itemized statement of the total cost of the work of removing the obstructions or growths and shall sign and certify the statement to the county auditor of the county in which the land is located. The county auditor shall place the statement on the tax duplicates. The county treasurer shall collect the costs entered on the duplicates at the same time and in the same manner as road taxes are collected. The treasurer may not issue a receipt for road taxes unless the costs entered on the duplicates are paid in full at the same time the road taxes are paid. If the costs are not paid when due, the costs shall become delinquent, bear the same interest, be subject to the same penalties, and be collected at the same time and in the same manner as other unpaid and delinquent taxes.

[Pre-2002 Recodification Citation: 32-10-4-2.]

As added by P.L.2-2002, SEC.11.