Seneca Falls, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 217 (eCode360 ed. 2026) § 217-3

The following terms shall have the meanings indicated: ABANDONED MOTOR VEHICLE As defined by the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles, an abandoned vehicle is a motor vehicle that has been left unattended on the property of another for more than 96 hours if it was left without permission of the owner. ABANDONED, NON-RESIDENTIAL As applied to any building other than residential building shall mean any building or structure which is not legally occupied or has been wholly vacant for 60 consecutive days, and shows visible signs of substantial physical distress, including, but not limited to, boarded-up or broken windows or doors, fire damage, collapsed roofs, exposure to the elements, susceptibility to unauthorized entry, disconnected utilities, the accumulation of trash, junk, and/or debris, or that appears to pose a risk to public safety, as determined by the Code Enforcement Officer or designee. Abandoned does not include a building that is unoccupied while undergoing renovations for which a valid building permit exists, or while undergoing repairs due to fire or other casualty or that is temporarily vacant due to seasonal absences. ABANDONED, RESIDENTIAL As applied to residential buildings means a building or structure which is not being used or occupied as intended and shows visible signs of substantial physical distress, including, but not limited to, boarded-up or broken windows or doors, fire damage, collapsed roofs, exposure to the elements, susceptibility to unauthorized entry, disconnected utilities, the accumulation of trash, junk, and/or debris, or that appears to pose a risk to public safety, as determined by the Code Enforcement Officer or designee. Abandoned does not include a building that is unoccupied while undergoing renovations for which a valid building permit exists, or while undergoing repairs due to fire or other casualty or that is temporarily vacant due to seasonal absences. ACCESSORY STRUCTURE A use, occupancy, or tenancy customarily incidental to the principal use or occupancy of the premises. AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT Every agricultural tractor, self-propelled implement of husbandry, and towed, mounted or semi-mounted implement of husbandry. "Implement of husbandry" shall mean a vehicle designed or adapted exclusively for agricultural, horticultural or livestock raising operations or for lifting or carrying an implement of husbandry. BRUSH AND WEEDS Any untended or uncultivated grasses, bushes, deleterious or unhealthful vegetation or other growing matter in excess of 12 inches in height, except trees, lawns, ornamental shrubbery, flowers or vegetables properly tended, pastureland, woodland or land under cultivation. BUILDING A structure, wholly or partially enclosed within exterior walls or within exterior or party walls, and a roof affording shelter to persons, animals, or property. CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER The enforcement officer employed by the Town for the purpose of enforcing the terms of this chapter. COMMERCIAL USE Any building or lot that is, has been or will be used for any purpose that is not residential, agricultural or public in nature. DANGEROUS BUILDINGS All buildings or structures which have any or all of the following defects: A. Those which, exclusive of the foundation, show 50% or more of damage or deterioration of the supporting member or members or 75% or more of damage or deterioration of the non-supporting enclosing or outside walls or covering. B. Those which have improperly distributed loads upon the floors or roofs or in which the same are overloaded or which have insufficient strength to be reasonably safe for the purpose used. C. Those which have been damaged by fire, wind or other causes so as to have become dangerous to life, safety or the general health and welfare of the occupants or the people of the Town of Seneca Falls or which are determined to be a health nuisance. D. Those which have become or are so dilapidated, decayed, unsafe or unsanitary or which so utterly fail to provide the amenities essential to decent living that they are unfit for human habitation or are likely to cause sickness or disease, so as to work injury to the health, safety or general welfare of those living therein. E. Those having light, air and sanitation facilities which are inadequate to protect the health, safety or general welfare of human beings who live or may live therein. F. Those having inadequate facilities for egress in case of fire or panic or those having insufficient stairways, elevators, fire escapes or other means of communication. DETERIORATION The condition or appearance of a building or structure characterized by holes, rot, crumbling, cracking, peeling, rusting or other evidence of physical decay or neglect or lack of maintenance. DWELLING, TWO-FAMILY A building containing not more than two dwelling units occupied or designed exclusively for residential purposes by not more than two families, each with separate household arrangements. EMERGENCY NOTICE OF VIOLATION A notice of violation containing each of the elements set forth in the definition of notice of violation (except notice of a right to a hearing), and in addition thereto, a statement that an emergency condition requiring immediate correction has been found to exist and setting forth the date and time by which the violation is to be cured. EXPOSED TO PUBLIC VIEW Any premises or open space or any part thereof, or any building or structure that may be lawfully viewed by any member of the public from a sidewalk, street, road, alleyway or from any adjoining or neighboring premises. FORECLOSED Means a property, placed as security for a real estate loan, as to which all rights of the mortgagor or his/her grantee is the property have been terminated as a result of a default on the loan. GARBAGE Includes but is not limited to all perishable animal, vegetable, and solid waste resulting from growing, processing, marketing and preparation of food items, ashes, cinders, and animal feces. GOOD WORKING CONDITION Fully operable for the use intended. GOOD WORKING REPAIR A standard of maintenance that renders a building safe, habitable, neat, and orderly. JUNK Any manufactured goods, appliance, fixture, furniture, machinery, motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, boat, trailer, or similar object that is abandoned, demolished, discarded, dismantled, deteriorated or in such condition as to be generally unusable in its existing state. JUNK YARD A. A lot, land or structure, or part thereof, where junk, waste, discarded or salvaged materials are bought, sold, exchanged, sorted, baled, packed, disassembled, handled or abandoned, including: automobile or other vehicle or machinery, wrecking or dismantling yards; house wrecking yards; used lumber yards; places or yards for storage of salvaged house wrecking and structural steel materials and equipment; or where any unregistered motor vehicle is held outside of a completely enclosed building, whether for the purpose of reclaiming for use some or all the materials therein, or for the purpose of storage or disposing of the same for any other purpose. The term "junkyard" shall not include pawn shops and establishments for the sale, purchase or storage of used furniture, household equipment and clothing, or for processing of used, discarded, or salvaged materials as part of manufacturing operations. B. Exceptions: (1) New, and/or motor vehicles which are operable qualify for a current New York State Motor vehicle inspection sticker under Article 5 of the New York State Motor Vehicle and Traffic Law , and are offered for sale to the public, may be stored on premises on which new or used car sales may be conducted in accordance with the provisions of Town Zoning Code. (2) The storage of vehicles subject to seasonal use such as recreational vehicles and snowmobiles even though such vehicles may be unlicensed during part of the year they are not in use. (3) The storage of agricultural equipment, machinery and vehicles in an Agricultural District which are being used in farm operation. KNOWINGLY Aware that such circumstances exist. LAWN The grassed area around a building or structure for aesthetic enhancement or used for a purpose associated with said building or structure. LEGALLY OCCUPIED Occupied in accordance with the provisions of the New York State Building Code. MORTGAGEE Means the creditor, including but not limited to service companies, lenders in a mortgage agreement, or any successor in interest of the mortgagee's rights, interests, or obligations under the mortgage agreement. NONPERATION MOTOR VEHICLE A motor vehicle, which is left unattended on private property for more than three days, which does not have lawfully affixed thereto both an unexpired license plate or plates and a current motor vehicle safety inspection certificate and the condition of which is wrecked, dismantled or inoperative. NOTICE OF VIOLATION A statement in writing above the signature of the Code Enforcement Officer or designee, setting forth the name and address of the person/owner, mortgagee, mortgagee, mortgagor, occupant, or tenant to be served, the date, time and location of the violation, a description of the violation, the date by which the violation must be cured, notice of a right to a hearing, the penalties which may accrue and the right of the Code Enforcement Officer or designee to correct the violation if not corrected in a timely manner. OPERATOR or MANAGER Any person who has charge, care or control of a building or part thereof. OWNER Any person or entity that owns real property. PERSON Includes the owner, occupant, mortgagee or vendee in possession, operator, assignee or rents receiver, executor, trustee, lessee, agent or any other person, firm, or corporation directly or indirectly in control of a building or parcel or part thereof. PORTABLE STORAGE CONTAINER Means a portable, weather-resistant, commercially leased or rented receptacle designed and used for the storage or shipment of personal property, building materials or merchandise. The term shall not include yard waste containers, construction debris containers, or containers having a storage capacity of less than 200 cubic feet. PREMISES A lot, parcel, tract, or plot of land together with the buildings and structures thereon. PROPERTY Land and whatever is erected on, growing on, placed on, or affixed thereto. PUBLIC NUISANACE A nuisance consists of doing an unlawful act, or omitting to perform a duty, or permitting an action or condition to occur or exist which intrudes, annoys, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health or safety of others, is unreasonably offensive to the senses, or which interferes with or disrupts a neighbor's or citizen's ability to freely use or enjoy their properties or public property adjacent to where the nuisance occurs. Such nuisances include, but are not limited to, the following: A. Unsecured attractive nuisances. B. Conditions or acts which annoy, injure, or endanger the comfort, repose, health, or safety of others. C. Conditions or acts which interfere with, obstruct, or tend to obstruct or render dangerous for passage any stream, public park, parkway, square, sidewalk, street, or highway and other rights-of-way in the Town. D. Illicit discharges into the municipal storm drainage system. E. Unauthorized interference with, damage to, or polluting of designated habitat areas, publicly owned restoration sites, streams, creeks, lakes, wetlands, or tributaries and similar areas thereto. F. Conditions or acts which obstruct the free use of property so as to essentially interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of life and property. G. Conditions or acts which lead to blight and contribute to the deterioration of the neighborhood or adjoining property. H. The improper parking or storage of vehicles on any residential lots which impedes the use of yard areas for light, air circulation, recreation, and landscaping. RECREATIONAL VEHICLE Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space or amenities found at home. Recreation vehicles may also include watercraft, snowmobiles, golf carts, dirt bikes, four-wheelers, all-terrain vehicles and the like. REFUSE Unwanted or discarded material, including but not limited to the following: garbage, scrap metal, scrap material, waste bottles, cans, paper, rubble, boxes, crates, rags, used construction materials, motor vehicle parts, tires, cardboard, plastic material or glass containers, sweepings, pieces of wood, excelsior, rubber and like material. STRUCTURE Anything constructed or erected which requires temporary or permanent support, placement or attachment to the ground, beneath the ground or to something having permanent location on the ground, including, but not limited to, gasoline and oil tanks, buildings, sheds, pools, decks, docks, manufactured homes, fences, signs, billboards, towers, antennas, satellite TV dishes, patios, sidewalks, driveways, and impervious or substantially impervious surfaces. TOWN The Town of Seneca Falls. UNINSPECTED VEHICLE A motor vehicle which has not been inspected for the State of New York and approved for safe and regular operation on roads and highways in the State of New York or does not bear an appropriate and valid inspection by regulating agencies of any state or other governmental entity. UNLICENSED VEHICLE Any vehicle which may be licensed or registered with the State of New York and is currently not registered. The fact that a vehicle which may be licensed or registered with the State of New York does not display a current license plate or displays an expired license plate shall be presumptive evidence of the fact that such motor vehicle is not currently licensed or registered. Seasonal motor vehicles which have a license plate that expired less than six months previously shall not be considered "unlicensed." The fact that a vehicle does not display a current motor vehicle registration, license plate or inspection sticker, excluding agricultural equipment used in conjunction with a bona fide farm operation, shall be presumptive evidence that such vehicle is not in any condition for legal use upon the highways. UNREGISTERED VEHICLE A motor vehicle which has not been currently registered with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles or any similar regulating agency of any state or country and which is incapable of passing the required inspection for motor vehicles within 30 days. WRECK A motor vehicle in such condition that it cannot be moved under its own power. YARD An open space that lies between the principal or accessory building(s) on a lot and the nearest lot line. If there is no building on a lot, yard shall mean the area within 50 feet of any road right-of-way and within 25 feet of any other lot line, except as may otherwise be provided in a Town zoning ordinance.