Borough of Norristown, PA Fees

The Council of the Municipality of Norristown hereby establishes a Master Schedule of Fees which shall identify and delineate the charges imposed by the Municipality of Norristown for the issuance of any license or permit, the provision of any service by the Municipality, or the conduct of any inspection by any department of the Municipality of Norristown, which same permit fees, license fees, service fees or inspection fees have been previously established by ordinances or resolutions of the Municipal Council.

§ 151-2 Amendment of Schedule.

The Municipality hereby establishes the Master Fee Schedule and may, from time to time, by resolution, establish all fees and amend such as deemed necessary and appropriate by the Municipal Council.

§ 151-3 Repealer.

Any and all ordinances, parts of ordinances, resolutions or parts of resolutions in conflict with the terms, conditions and provisions of this Master Fee Schedule Chapter are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict. It is the intent of Municipal Council that any and all other provisions of any municipal ordinance or resolution establishing a fee for any service delineated under Exhibit A to this chapter[1] is hereby expressly repealed and declared to be of no further force or effect.

[1]

Editor's Note: Exhibit A and the most recent fees resolutions are on file in the municipal offices.

Article II Attorneys' Fees for Collection of Claims

[Adopted 12-6-2022 by Ord. No. 22-06[1]]

[1]

Editor's Note: This ordinance also superseded former Art. II, Attorneys' Fees for Collection of Claims, adopted 3-3-2009 by Ord. No. 09-03.

§ 151-4 Attorney fees and collection fees to be added to the MCTLA unpaid claims.

The attorney fees and collection fees set forth below are hereby adopted, approved, and determined to be reasonable, including, without limitation, as contemplated by 53 P.S. § 7106 of the Municipal Claims and Tax Liens Act ("MCTLA"). The attorney fees and collection fees set forth below shall be included and added to the applicable MCTLA unpaid claim in an amount equal to the amounts set forth in this section.

Attorney fees.

Legal Service	Fee
Initial review and sending first legal demand letter	$175
File lien and prepare satisfaction	$250
Prepare writ of scire facias	$250
Prepare and mail letter under Pa. R.C.P. 237.1	$50
Prepare default judgment	$175
Research, prepare and obtain reissued writ	$175
Prepare praecipe to amend	$100
Prepare motion to amend	$150
Prepare motion for alternate service	$250
Prepare motion to consolidate claims	$250
Amend claim to add United States as defendant	$250
Prepare writ of execution	$800
Preparation for sheriff's sale; review schedule of distribution and resolve distribution issues	$400
Prepare motion to continue sheriff's sale	$50
Prepare petition for free and clear sale	$400
Preparation and service of subpoena	$100
Presentation of motion or petition	$50
Services not covered above	At an hourly rate between $75 and $275 per hour

Collection fees.

Collection Service	Fee
Validation notice	$25 per notice
Notice of delinquent claim and fee shifting	$40 per notice, plus applicable postage
Bookkeeping fee for payment plan of 3 months or less	$25
Bookkeeping fee for payment plan of more than 3 months	$50
Handling fee for returned check	$25

In addition to the collection fees set forth under Subsection B above, the amount of out-of-pocket charges, costs, expenses, commissions and fees incurred in connection with the filing, preservation, and collection of the MCTLA unpaid claims, including, but not limited to, prothonotary fees and charges, sheriff fees and charges, postage expenses, title search expenses, vehicle identification number (VIN) search expenses, skip tracing and/or other investigatory service expenses, and the costs, fees, charges and/or expenses arising out of any payment by any credit card, debit card, or any other payment medium, are hereby approved and shall be included, upon incurrence, together with the applicable MCTLA unpaid claim.

§ 151-5 Interest.

Interest will be assessed upon an unpaid claim at a rate of 10% per annum and added to an unpaid claim. The Municipality is permitted to waive any interest on any unpaid claim when the Municipality or any attorney and/or third-party collector authorized by Municipal Council to collect the unpaid claim believes, in its discretion, that such amount is de minimis or that the cost or burden of continuing collection outweighs the benefit of collecting the interest.