[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Harrisburg
by Ord. No. 49-1991. Amendments noted where applicable.]
CROSS-REFERENCES
Floodplain zoning: see Ch. 7-329.
A.Â
Council finds it necessary to provide potential buyers of residential
property notice as to whether or not the property is located within
the floodplain or outside of the floodplain and whether or not the
property has ever been flooded, in order that the buyer may be properly
informed of such.
B.Â
The advent of floodplain construction standards, enhanced flood warning
systems and other floodplain-related improvements make possible the
viable and complete use of land and buildings within the floodplain,
and nothing in this chapter is intended or should be incorrectly perceived
as diminishing the value of or inhibiting, constraining or precluding
the sale or purchase or the development and use of floodplain-located
real estate.
As used in this chapter, certain terms are defined as follows:
Any person, partnership, association, corporation, or fiduciary
who, for monetary consideration, aids in the sale or exchange of property
as defined herein. Whenever used in any clause prescribing or imposing
a penalty, the term "agent," as applied to partnerships and associations,
means the partners or members thereof and, as applied to corporations,
the officers thereof.
Any agreement or written instrument which provides that title
to any property shall thereafter be transferred from one owner to
another owner and includes, inter alia, both written leases which
contain options to purchase the leased property and agreements which
provide that the occupant of the property shall acquire title thereto
after the payment of a stipulated number of regular payments or after
a stipulated period of time.
Floodplain notification certificate for residential property.
Any person, partnership, association, corporation, or fiduciary
having legal or equitable title or any interest in any real property.
Whenever used in any clause prescribing or imposing a penalty, the
term "owner," as applied to partnerships and associations, means the
partners or members thereof and, as applied to corporations, the officers
thereof.
Any residential building or structure located within the
City, including any vacant lot in a strictly residential zone.
At least 30 days prior to entering into any agreement of sale
or exchange of any property or at least 30 days prior to the transfer
of property when no agreement of sale is utilized, the agent or, if
none, the owner shall obtain from the Codes Administrator the floodplain
notification certificate for residential property required by this
chapter.
Upon application of the agent or, if none, the owner, the Codes
Administrator or designee shall review the pertinent City records
and then shall execute and deliver a certificate to the agent or,
if none, the owner. The certificate shall contain the following information:
A.Â
The street address and appropriate description of subject property;
B.Â
A statement as to whether or not the subject property is located
within the floodplain or outside of the floodplain;
C.Â
A statement that the agent or, if none, the owner has advised the
purchaser whether, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief,
the property has ever been flooded.
Notwithstanding any other law or ordinance, the provisions of
this chapter may not be waived or disclaimed by any oral or written
agreement executed by any agent, owner or purchaser.
A.Â
No agent or, if none, no owner shall sell property in the City or
any interest therein, unless the agent or, if none, the owner first
delivers to the purchaser, at least 10 days prior to the execution
of any agreement of sale, or at least 10 days prior to the transfer
of title in the event that no agreement of sale is utilized, the certificate
required by this chapter.
B.Â
The purchaser or transferee shall execute a receipt for the certificate,
as furnished by the City, and such receipt shall be delivered by the
agent or, if none, the owner to the Codes Administrator as evidence
of compliance with the provisions of this chapter and this chapter
only. The certificate described in this chapter in no way implies
compliance with any other chapter of these Codified Ordinances.
C.Â
No agent shall aid any owner in the sale or transfer of property
unless the agent first complies with the notification requirements
of this chapter.
The floodplain notification certificate for residential property
shall be compiled from the records of the City. Neither the enactment
of this chapter nor the preparation and delivery of any certificate
required hereunder shall impose any liability upon the City for any
errors or omissions contained in such certificate, nor shall the City
bear any liability.
A.Â
Any agent or owner who violates the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of a summary offense and, upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to the general code penalty as set forth in § 1-301.99.
B.Â
No sale or exchange of property shall be invalidated solely because
of failure of any person to comply with any provisions of this chapter,
unless such failure is an act or omission which would be valid ground
for rescission of such sale or exchange in the absence of this chapter.
