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Township of West Whiteland, PA
Chester County
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of West Whiteland as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Subdivision and land development — See Ch. 281.
Zoning — See Ch. 325.
[Adopted 5-3-1965 by Ord. No. 9 (Ch. 14, Part 1, of the 1983 Code of Ordinances)]
[Amended 11-7-1983 by Ord. No. 97]
For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
EGRESS
The act of removing or permitting the permanent removal of a trailer or mobile home from a trailer park.
HOUSE TRAILER
Any mobile unit, whether self-propelled or motivated by other mechanical equipment, which can be used for living or sleeping quarters either permanently or temporarily. Hereafter referred to as "trailer."
INGRESS
The act of permitting a house trailer or mobile home to enter and remain more than 24 hours in a trailer park.
MOBILE HOME
The same thing as house trailer.
TRAILER PARK OPERATOR
The owner, equitable owner or lessor of the ground upon which the trailer park is operated or his legal representative. Hereafter called "operator."
TRAILER PARK or TRAILER CAMP
Any area used for the parking of more than one trailer in excess of 24 hours. Hereafter called "trailer park."
In addition to the general purpose of this chapter in the preamble, the regulations listed below are intended to achieve the following:
A. 
To regulate the ingress, egress and maintaining of trailers in trailer parks without the payment of taxes levied by any legal taxing agency.
B. 
To protect all taxing bodies from the loss of taxes.
A. 
Trailer numbers. The operator shall assign numbers to each trailer in the trailer park and shall visibly display each number at the front of each trailer. The number shall be assigned to the trailer and not to its location within the trailer park. The number so assigned may be reassigned to another trailer only when the trailer to which it was assigned permanently leaves the park or is legally replaced by the owner or occupant thereof.
B. 
Inspections. The operator shall permit, as a minimum, one annual inspection by:
(1) 
The Zoning Officer for the comparison of actual trailers, and occupants thereof with the trailer records maintained by the Township; and
(2) 
The Township or County Tax Assessor.
C. 
Trailer record.
(1) 
Within 30 days from the effective date of this chapter, the operator shall prepare a form, to be supplied by the Township, in triplicate, on which is recorded, for each trailer presently in the trailer park, the following data:
(a) 
The trailer number assigned in accordance with Subsection A of this section.
(b) 
The manufacturer's name, model, year of purchase, purchase price, color or colors, and the state, number and year of the most current license plate attached thereto.
(c) 
The first name, middle initial, last name and Social Security number of each adult occupant.
(2) 
Thereafter, the operation shall prepare a similar form in triplicate, within one calendar week from the ingress of each trailer.
(3) 
The operator shall prepare a similar form, in triplicate, within one calendar week from the date the occupant of a trailer "trades in" or otherwise legally replaces the present trailer in the trailer park.
D. 
It shall be the responsibility of the operator that the forms approved by the Zoning Officer, as herein provided, shall be available at the trailer park at all times and shall be currently accurate.
[Amended 11-7-1983 by Ord. No. 97]
A. 
Enforcement. The administrative official for the enforcement of this chapter shall be the Zoning Officer, appointed by the Board of Supervisors, whose duty it shall be, and he is hereby given the power and authority to enforce the provisions of this chapter.
B. 
Application of permits.
(1) 
The Zoning Officer, upon the initial receipt of the trailer records, as provided in § 206-3C shall make an inspection of each trailer park; satisfy himself that they have been accurately reported; approve the permit section of all three copies; give one copy to the operator; forward one copy to the Township Assessor and retain one copy for his files.
(2) 
Thereafter, the operator shall prepare a trailer record in triplicate, as above, apply to the Zoning Officer for a permit and pay the permit fee.
(3) 
The Zoning Officer may, at his option, inspect the trailer park to verify the accuracy of the data reported, approve the permit and distribute the copies as above.
(4) 
When the egress of a trailer is desired, the operator shall present the applicable trailer record to the Zoning Officer; submit evidence that all taxes have been paid and pay the permit fee. When the Zoning Officer is satisfied there are no delinquent county, school or Township taxes and the fee is paid in cash, he shall issue and approve the permit in triplicate; one copy shall be immediately given to the operator; one copy forwarded to the Township Assessor and one copy attached to the trailer record and filed.
C. 
Permit fee. The fee shall be $5 for each ingress and $5 for each egress. All fees shall be paid in cash.
From and after the effective date hereof, no trailer shall be moved into or out of any trailer park within West Whiteland Township unless the permits provided for hereunder are obtained in compliance herewith; and provided further, no trailer shall be removed from any trailer park in West Whiteland Township unless all taxes due thereon have been paid.
[Amended 11-7-1983 by Ord. No. 97; 6-10-1997 by Ord. No. 257]
The trailer park operator, as defined in § 206-1, shall be solely responsible for compliance with this chapter. Any action at variance therewith, including a falsification of trailer records, defined in § 206-3C, shall be considered a violation of this chapter and the violator shall be subject to a fine in the amount of at least $25, but not to exceed $600, plus all court costs, including reasonable attorney fees incurred by the Township. A violation in respect to each trailer shall be considered a separate offense. Upon a finding of liability for committing said violation, in a civil enforcement proceeding commenced by the Township, the defendant shall pay the fine, plus all court costs, including attorney fees. No judgment shall be imposed until the date of determination of a violation by a District Justice. If the defendant neither pays nor timely appeals the judgment, the Township may enforce the judgment pursuant to the applicable Rules of Civil Procedure.