[Ord. 1205, 6/16/2005; as amended by Ord. 1241, 8/13/2007]
Prior to any change in ownership or occupancy of any house, dwelling, apartment unit, rooming house unit, retail, commercial, industrial or any other type of premises, by transfer of title or the change of occupancy or tenancy, a certificate of approval shall first have been obtained from the Code Enforcement Officer stating that the building, or the specified portion thereof, complies with the requirements of the Bristol Borough Property Maintenance Code and all other codes and ordinances of the Borough of Bristol regulating and governing matters of health, sanitation, maintenance and use of any structure for human occupancy. This provision shall not apply to changes of ownership or occupancy involving members of an immediate family.
[Ord. 1205, 6/16/2005; as amended by Ord. 1241, 8/13/2007; by Ord. 1253, 11/10/2008; and by Ord. 1295, 9/9/2013]
1. 
A certificate of approval shall be requested, processed and issued in the following manner:
A. 
Application. Application shall be made, in writing, on a form provided by the Borough, by the owner or the owner's agent or representative, to the Code Enforcement Officer at least 30 days prior to a change in ownership or occupancy, requesting an inspection by the inspector, or his/her designated representative or agency, specifying the premises to be inspected, the location thereof, the name of the present owners and tenants and lessees, purchasers and the numbers of people who shall occupy the building.
B. 
Fee. The fee for such inspection shall be in an amount as established, from time to time, by resolution of Borough Council, per residential unit and shall be paid to the Borough at the time of making the application. Nonresidential units shall be charged by square footage based on a fee schedule adopted by Borough Council. Borough Council shall have the authority to change this fee by resolution.
C. 
Inspections. The requested inspection shall be made within seven business days of receipt of a complete application, and an inspection report containing all existing violations as may be found of all codes and ordinances regulating and governing matters of health, sanitation, maintenance and use of any structure for human occupancy, shall be set forth as separate items by the inspecting official in a written report, which shall be submitted to the person applying for the inspection.
D. 
Correction of Violations. All violations shall be corrected prior to any change of ownership or occupancy, or in the alternative, may be assumed by the prospective purchaser, on the condition that such violations be corrected within 30 days from the date of such report, or within any extension of such thirty-day period granted by the Code Enforcement Officer, or his/her representative.
E. 
Safety Violations. All violations which, in the judgment of the inspecting officer, pose a positive, clear and serious present or potential threat to the health, safety or welfare of any present or potential occupant shall be so designated upon the inspection report, and such violations shall be corrected prior to any change in ownership or occupancy.
F. 
Reinspections. A single reinspection may be requested without additional fee by the person making the original application within 30 days of the date of the inspection report, and a reinspection shall be made within 30 days of the date of the inspection report, or as soon thereafter as the inspecting official can schedule such reinspection in instances where the prospective purchaser has assumed responsibility for correction of violations. However, any additional or later reinspection shall only be made upon payment of a new inspection fee in an amount as established, from time to time, by resolution of Borough Council, per reinspection.
G. 
Issuance of Certificate. Upon an inspection report being rendered without any violation being disclosed, or upon any disclosed violation being remedied and corrected prior to reinspection, the Code Enforcement Officer shall issue to the applicant a certificate of approval for the subject premises so qualifying, which shall be valid until the next occurring change in ownership, or any subsequent inspection by the Housing Inspector, or his/her representative, which shall disclose ordinance violations, whichever first occurs.
[Ord. 1205, 6/16/2005; as amended by Ord. 1295, 9/9/2013; by Ord. 1305, 11/10/2014; and by Ord. No. 1365, 4/3/2023]
1. 
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision of this Part, upon conviction thereof in an action brought before a Magisterial District Judge in the manner provided for the enforcement of summary offenses under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs, or not less than $100, and in default of payment of said fine and costs, to a term of imprisonment not to exceed 90 days. Each day that a violation of this Part continues or each section of this Part which shall be found to have been violated shall constitute a separate offense.
2. 
In the alternative, the Borough may pursue any civil action at law or equity against any person, partnership or corporation who or which has violated or permitted the violation of any of the provisions of this Part. Upon being found liable therefor in a civil enforcement proceeding, the defendant shall pay a judgment of not more than $1,000 plus all court costs, including reasonable attorney fees incurred by the Borough as a result thereof. Each day that a violation of this Part continues which shall be found to have been violated shall constitute a separate offense. All judgments, costs and reasonable attorney fees collected for the violation of this Part shall be paid over to the Borough whose ordinance has been violated.