[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Township
of Marple 1-12-2015 by Ord. No.
2015-1. Amendments noted where applicable.]
A.
The purpose of this chapter requiring the registration of all vacant
and abandoned buildings and the payment of registration fees is to
assist the Township in protecting the public health, safety and welfare,
to monitor the number of vacant buildings in the Township, to assess
the effects of the condition of those buildings on nearby businesses
and the neighborhoods in which they are located, particularly in light
of fire safety hazards and to promote substantial efforts to rehabilitate
such vacant buildings. The provisions of this chapter are applicable
to the owners of such vacant buildings as set forth herein and are
in addition to and not in lieu of any and all other applicable provisions
of the Ordinances of the Township of Marple and all relevant codes
and/or regulations adopted therein
B.
Administration and enforcement of this chapter shall be under the
control of the Code Enforcement Officials of the Township.
For the purposes of this chapter, where terms are not defined,
such terms shall have ordinarily accepted meanings such as the context
implies. The following words shall have the meanings respectively
ascribed to them as follows:
A building, structure or dwelling unit subject to the provisions
of this chapter if in place of one or more exterior doors, other than
a storm door, or of one or more windows, there is a sheet or sheets
of plywood or similar material covering the space for such door or
window.
A single unit providing complete, independent living facilities
for one or more persons, including permanent provisions for living,
sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation.
Written notice of a violation or requirement under this chapter
mailed, pursuant to first class mail, to the last known address of
the owner of the property in question.
As applied to a building or structure subject to the provisions
of this chapter means where one or more persons actually conducts
a lawful business or resides in all or any part of the building as
the licensed business-occupant, or as the legal or equitable owner/occupant(s)
or tenant(s) on a permanent, nontransient basis, or any combination
of the same. For purposes of this chapter, evidence offered to prove
that a building is so occupied may include, but shall not be limited
to, the regular receipt of delivery of regular mail through the U.S.
Postal Service; proof of continual telephone, electric, gas, heating,
water and sewer services; a valid Township business license, or the
most recent, federal, state, or Township tax statements indicating
that the subject property is the official business or residence address
of the person or business claiming occupancy; or proof of tenant-occupied
property license inspection.
A building or structure or dwelling unit subject to the provisions
of this chapter in which any one or more exterior doors, other than
a storm door, is broken, open and/or closed, but, without a properly
functioning lock to secure it, or if one or more windows is broken
or not capable of being locked and secured from intrusion or any combination
of the same.
Any person, agent, operator, firm or corporation having a
legal or equitable interest in the property; or recorded in the official
records of the state, county or Township as holding title to the property;
or otherwise having control of the property, including the guardian
of the estate of any such person, and the executor or administrator
of the estate of such person if ordered to take possession of real
property by a court.
As applied to a building or structure subject to the provisions
of this chapter means no person or persons actually, currently conducts
a lawfully licensed business, or lawfully resides or lives in any
part of the building as the legal or equitable owner(s) or tenant-occupant(s),
or owner-occupants, or tenant(s) on a permanent nontransient basis.
The requirements of this chapter shall be applicable to each owner of any building whether governmental, commercial, residential or institutional or owned by nonprofit or a for-profit organization in which the building in total shall have been vacant for more than 30 days. Each such owner shall cause to be filed a notarized registration statement in a form prescribed from time to time by the Township, which form shall include the street address and parcel number of each such vacant building, the names and addresses of all owners, as hereinafter described, and any other information deemed necessary by the Township Code Enforcement Officials. The registration statement and, where applicable, registration fee(s) as required by § 218-4 shall be billed by the Township and such registration statement and, where applicable, registration fee(s), shall be filed with and/or paid to the Township on or before September 15, or if September 15 falls on Saturday or Sunday by the preceding Friday, of each year. For purposes of this chapter, registration application(s) initially shall be due on September 15, 2012. For purposes of this chapter, the following shall also be applicable:
A.
If the owner is a corporation, the registration statement shall provide
the names and residence addresses of all officers and directors of
the corporation and shall be accompanied by a copy of the most recent
relevant filing with Pennsylvania Department of State;
B.
If an estate, the name and business address of the executor of the
estate;
C.
If a trust, the name and addresses of all trustees, grantors and
beneficiaries;
D.
If a partnership, the names and residence addresses of all partners
with an interest of 10% or greater;
E.
If any other form of unincorporated association, the names and residence
addresses of all principals with an interest of ten percent or greater;
F.
If an individual person, the name and residence address of that individual
person.
A.
If none of the persons listed in § 218-3 is shown at an address within the state, the registration statement also shall provide the name and address of a person who resides within the state and who is authorized to accept service of process on behalf of the owners and who shall be designated as a responsible, local party or agent, both for purposes of notification in the event of an emergency affecting the public health, safety or welfare and for purposes of service of any and all notices or registration statements as herein authorized and in connection herewith.
B.
Registration shall be required for all vacant buildings, whether
vacant and secure, vacant and open or vacant and boarded, and shall
be required whenever any building has remained vacant for 30 consecutive
days or more. In no instance shall the registration of a vacant building
and the payment of registration fees be construed to exonerate the
owner, agent or responsible party from responsibility for compliance
with any other Township code or ordinance requirement. One registration
statement may be filed to include all vacant buildings of the owner
so registering.
C.
The owner of the vacant property, as of September 15 of each calendar
year, shall be responsible for the filing of his/her registration
statement and, where applicable, registration payment of the nonrefundable
registration fee. Said fee shall be billed by the Township and shall
be established from time to time by resolution of the Board of Commissioners.
D.
Upon the registration of a property, the Township Code Enforcement
officials may conduct an inspection of the property to determine if
it complies with the applicable Township codes and ordinances. If
the inspection finds violations of Township codes or ordinances, the
Township shall issue a notice of violation as per the requirements
of those Township codes or ordinances and give notice to the owner
to comply.
Registration fees shall become dedicated to a line item in the
budget for the Township's enforcement and administration of the
vacant property registration requirements within this chapter. Fines
for violations of this chapter shall go to the Township's general
fund.
The owner shall have the right to appeal the imposition of the
registration fees to the Board of Commissioners upon filing an application,
in writing, to the Township Secretary no later than 15 calendar days
after the date of the billing statement. On appeal, the owner shall
bear the burden of providing satisfactory objective proof of "occupied"
status as defined in this chapter.
A one-time, six-month waiver of the registration fee may be
granted by the Board of Commissioners upon application of the owner
and upon review and advice of the Township Code Enforcement Officials
within 15 calendar days of the date of the bill for the registration
fee, if the owner:
A.
Demonstrates with satisfactory proof that he/she has submitted valid
architectural plans, based on the Township's permits and planning
application procedures, and otherwise has shown good faith efforts
to efficiently rehabilitate, demolish, or otherwise substantially
repair or improve said vacant building; or
B.
Demonstrates with satisfactory proof that he/she is actively marketing
the property for sale/lease. Actively marketing will be defined as
an owner has placed a "for sale" or a "for lease" sign on the property
with accurate contact information, which is also provided and has
done at least one of the following:
Within 60 days after the waiver application is received by the
Township Secretary, the Board of Commissioners shall grant or deny
the waiver, in writing, and dispatch the written decision by mail
to the owner.
After the owner is given notice of the amount of the registration fee due, except for those owners that have properly perfected and pursued to successful result, an appeal pursuant to § 218-6 of this chapter and the owner fails to pay the amount due, said amount shall constitute a debt due and owing to the Township, and the Township may enter a lien on the property as provided by law.
If the status of the registration information changes during
the course of any calendar year, it is the responsibility of the owner,
responsible party or agent for the same to contact the Township within
30 days of the occurrence of such change and advise the Township,
in writing, of those changes.
The failure or refusal for any reason of any owner, or agent
of an owner acting on behalf of the owner, to file a registration
statement or to pay any fees required to be paid pursuant to the provisions
of this section, within 30 days after notice, shall constitute a violation
punishable upon conviction thereof by a fine in the amount of not
less than $300 nor more than $1,000 for the first two continual and
uncorrected failures or refusals to register, or for each failure
or refusal to pay and not exceeding $5,000 for the third and any subsequent
continual and uncorrected failure or refusal to register or for each
subsequent failure or refusal to pay or imprisonment for any term
not exceeding 90 days, or both. Unpaid fines shall be registered as
a lien against the violating building.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances inconsistent herewith
are hereby repealed to the extent of any inconsistency.
This chapter shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
