To amend section 505.511 of the Revised Code to permit townships that operate a township police department to impose a charge for false alarms received from malfunctioning security alarm systems under certain conditions, and to include such false alarms answered by police constables among the false alarms for which county sheriffs and certain boards of township trustees may impose charges.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Sec. 505.511. (A) The A board of TOWNSHIP trustees THAT OPERATES A TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT OR THE BOARD OF TOWNSHIP TRUSTEES of a township police district may, after POLICE CONSTABLES, the township police, a law enforcement agency with which the township contracts for police services, and the county sheriff or his THE SHERIFF'S deputy have answered a combined total of three false alarms resulting from the malfunction of the same commercial or residential security alarm system within the township in the same calendar year, cause the township clerk to mail the manager of the commercial establishment or the occupant, lessee, agent, or tenant of the residence, a bill for twenty-five dollars for each subsequent false alarm from the same alarm system during that year, to defray the costs incurred. If payment of the bill is not received within thirty days, the clerk shall send a notice by certified mail to the manager and to the owner, if different, of the real estate of which the commercial establishment is a part, or to the occupant, lessee, agent, or tenant and to the owner, if different, of the real estate of which the residence is a part, indicating that failure to pay the bill within thirty days, or to show just cause why the bill should not be paid, will result in the assessment of a twenty-five dollar lien upon the real estate. If payment is not received within thirty days or if just cause is not shown, the sum of twenty-five dollars shall be entered upon the tax duplicate, shall be a lien upon the real estate from the date of the entry, and shall be collected as other taxes and returned to the township general fund. The board of TOWNSHIP trustees of a township police district shall not cause the township clerk to send a bill pursuant to this division if a bill has already been sent pursuant to division (B) of this section for the same false alarm.

(B) The county sheriff may, after he or his THE COUNTY SHERIFF OR THE SHERIFF'S deputy, POLICE CONSTABLES, the township police, and a law enforcement agency with which the township contracts for police services have answered a combined total of three false alarms resulting from the malfunction of the same commercial or residential security alarm system within the unincorporated area of the county in the same calendar year, mail the manager of the commercial establishment or the occupant, lessee, agent, or tenant of the residence a bill for twenty-five dollars for each subsequent false alarm from the same alarm system during that year, to defray the costs incurred. If payment of the bill is not received within thirty days, the sheriff shall send a notice by certified mail to the manager and to the owner, if different, of the real estate of which the commercial establishment is a part, or to the occupant, lessee, agent, or tenant and to the owner, if different, of the real estate of which the residence is a part, indicating that the failure to pay the bill within thirty days, or to show just cause why the bill should not be paid, will result in the assessment of a twenty-five dollar lien upon the real estate. If payment is not received within thirty days or if just cause is not shown, the sum of twenty-five dollars shall be entered upon the tax duplicate, shall be a lien upon the real estate from the date of the entry, and shall be collected as other taxes and returned to the county treasury. The sheriff shall not send a bill pursuant to this division if a bill has already been sent pursuant to division (A) of this section for the same false alarm.

(C) As used in this section, "commercial establishment" has the same meaning as in section 505.391 of the Revised Code.