Chap.   516.         AN ACT RELATIVE TO DEBRIS STORED IN
BUILDINGS.
Be it enacted, etc., as follows:
Chapter 148 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 5,  as most recently amended by chapter 456 of
the acts of 1962,  and inserting in place thereof the following section: -
Section 5.    The marshal,   the head of the fire department or any person to whom the marshal or the head of the fire department may delegate his authority in writing may, and upon complaint of a person having an interest in any building or premises or  property  adjacent thereto,   shall,  at any reasonable hour, enter into buildings  and  upon  premises,   which term for the purposes  of  the remainder of this section shall include alleys adjacent thereto, within their jurisdiction and make an investigation as to the existence of conditions likely to cause fire.    They shall,   in  writing,   order such conditions to be remedied,  and whenever such officers or persons find in any building or upon any premises any accumulation of combustible rubbish including, but not limited to, waste paper, rags,  cardboard, string, packing material, sawdust, shavings, sticks, waste leather or rubber, broken boxes or barrels or any other refuse or useable materials that is  or  may become dangerous as a fire menace or as an obstacle to easy ingress into or egress from such buildings or premises,  they shall,  in writing,  order the same to be removed or such conditions to be remedied.     Notice of such order shall be served upon the owner, occupant or his authorized agent by a member of the fire or police department.    If said order is not complied with within twenty-four hours, the person making such order,  or any person designated by him,  may enter into such building or upon such premises and remove such refuse or any useable materials or abate such conditions at the expense of such owner or occupant.    Any expense so incurred by or on behalf of the commonwealth or of any city or town,   shall be a lien upon such building or premises, effective upon the filing in the proper registry of deeds of a claim thereof signed by such person and setting forth the amount for which the lien is claimed; and the lien shall be enforced within the time and in the manner provided for the collection of taxes upon real estate.    Any such owner or occupant who fails or refuses to comply with said order shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars for each consecutive forty-eight hours during which such failure or refusal to comply continues.
Approved   August  16,   1979.