1. (a) This section applies to a person who owns, leases, occupies, possesses, or has charge of any:

   1. (1) land;
   2. (2) place;
   3. (3) building;
   4. (4) structure;

   5. (5) stacks or quantities of:

      1. (A) wood;
      2. (B) hay;
      3. (C) corn;
      4. (D) wheat; or
      5. (E) other grains or materials; or

   6. (6) vessel or watercraft;

      that is infested with rats.

2. (b) If a person fails, neglects, or refuses to proceed to exterminate and destroy the rats, as required by this chapter, the state department or the state department's inspectors, and the local health officer or local board of health and the local board's inspectors shall at once cause the nuisance to be abated by exterminating and destroying the rats.
3. (c) The expense is a charge against the county, town, or city that has, by the county's, town's, or city's legislative body, ordered the destruction or extermination of rats, and the legislative body shall pay the expense.

4. (d) When the destruction of rats is ordered by the town or city legislative body, the clerk of the town or city shall at once file with the county auditor a certified statement of the expense of the extermination and the county auditor shall charge the amount expended for destroying rats against the property on which the nuisance was abated. The amount shall be collected as other taxes are collected. When collected the amount shall be paid to the county, town, or city to reimburse the county, city, or town for the amount paid out for the destruction of rats.

   [Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 16-1-27-4.]

As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.24.