2025 -- S 0494

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LC001554

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO TOWNS AND CITIES -- ORDINANCES

     Introduced By: Senators Burke, Tikoian, McKenney, Pearson, and Appollonio

     Date Introduced: February 26, 2025

     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 for a violation of an ordinance, those fines shall

be a lien against the real property owned by the violator located within the municipality. If the fine

is not paid by the violator within ninety (90) days of issuance of the fine, a lien shall be recorded

with the records of land evidence of the municipality where the violating property is located and

the lien shall also incur interest at the rate of twelve percent (12%) per year, from the date of

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

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

where the violation(s) was located, and the tax collector of that municipality shall include those

amounts on tax bills owed by the property owner.

     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 unpaid fines for violations of municipal ordinances to be recorded as

a lien in the land records, where the violating real property is located. The lien would be added to

amount of real estate taxes owed on the property at issue.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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