The Township may grade, curb, gutter, pave or
otherwise improve, with brick, stone or any suitable materials, any
public street or road, or part thereof, laid out and opened in the
Township. Such work may be done by employees of the Township or by
contract, as the Township Supervisors shall determine. No street or
road, or any part thereof, shall be improved under the provisions
of this section, except upon the petitions of owners of property representing
a majority in number of feet-front of the properties abutting on the
street or road, or part thereof, proposed to be improved.
The cost and expense of such improvement may
be collected from the owners of the real estate abutting on such a
street or highway, or part thereof, by an equal assessment on the
feet-front. Such assessment shall be estimated by the Township Engineer.
All such assessments for improvements shall
be filed with the Finance Director of the Township. The Finance Director
shall give 30 days' written or printed notice that the assessments
are due and payable to each party assessed, either by service on the
owner or agent or left on the assessed premises. If the assessments,
or any of them, remain unpaid at the expiration of said 30 days, they
shall be placed in the hands of the Township Solicitor for collection.
The Solicitor shall collect the same, together with reasonable attorney's
fees and interest, from the completion of the improvement, by a municipal
claim filed against the delinquent owner in like manner as municipal
claims are now collected. When an owner has two or more lots against
which there is an assessment for the same improvements, all such lots
shall be embraced in one claim.
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
All individuals, corporations, public or private, copartnerships
and associations having title in the property assessed. If the owner
to whom notice is required to be given is a nonresident of the Township
and his, her or their place of residence is unknown, or if the ownership
of the property cannot be ascertained, the notice shall be posted
on the premises and a copy left with the occupant, if there is one.
