2024 -- S 2883

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LC004290

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- ORDINANCES

     Introduced By: Senator Jacob Bissaillon

     Date Introduced: March 22, 2024

     Referred To: Senate Housing & Municipal Government

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 45-6-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-6 entitled "Ordinances" is

hereby amended to read as follows:

     45-6-2. Imposition of penalties for ordinance violations.

     (a) Town and city councils may impose penalties for the violation of ordinances and

regulations, not exceeding in amount five hundred dollars ($500) or imprisonment not exceeding

thirty (30) days in some jail or house of correction, and/or require restitution in cases involving

property damage or personal injury in an amount up to twenty-five hundred dollars ($2,500) and/or

require community restitution for a not-for-profit entity for not more than fifty (50) hours for any

one offense, to be prosecuted by some officer appointed for that purpose, and to be recovered to

the use of the town or city, or of the person or persons, and in the proportions, that the councils in

their ordinances and regulations designate.

     (b) Whenever a municipality issues a fine in violation of an ordinance, those fines shall be

a lien against the real property within the municipality owned by the violator. If the fine is not paid

by the violator within ninety (90) days of issuance of the fine, the lien shall be recorded with the

records of land evidence of the municipality, and the lien shall incur legal interest from the date of

recording. The cost incurred by the municipality to remediate issues caused by the ordinance

violation, along with the unpaid fine, shall be added to the amount of taxes due on the real estate

where the violation was located and the tax collector of the municipality shall include those

amounts on tax bills to the property owner.

     (c) The tax collector of the city or town shall have the same powers and shall be subject to

the same duties with respect to such claim as in the case of the annual taxes upon real estate, and

the provisions of law relative to the collection of annual taxes, the sale or taking of land for the

nonpayment thereof and the redemption of land so sold or taken shall apply to such a claim.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- ORDINANCES

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     This act would allow municipalities to seek recovery of fines associated with ordinance

violations by permitting the municipality to include the fines on a property tax bill.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC004290

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