How can municipalities recover costs incurred through enforcement actions?

• A. Charge the costs to the owner and potentially recover or add the costs to the property tax roll, as permitted by statute.
• B. Seize the owner's assets.
• C. Issue fines for future offenses only.
• D. Refund the costs to the owner after compliance.

Answer: (A)

When a municipality enforces bylaws, it incurs various costs for inspections, notices, orders, and related actions. The way to recover those expenses is to charge them to the owner or the person in charge of the property. If the owner doesn’t pay, statutes give the municipality the authority to add the unpaid costs to the property’s tax roll, turning the amount into a lien that can be collected through the property tax system. This approach ensures the person responsible bears the cost, uses a practical and enforceable collection method, and helps fund ongoing enforcement activities. Other options, like seizing assets, issuing fines only for future offenses, or refunding costs after compliance, do not align with how these enforcement costs are intended to be recovered.