[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Middletown 10-11-1988 by Ord. No. 88-26 (Ch. 10, Part 1, of the 1992 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Property maintenance — See Ch. 363.
A. 
Nuisances. For the purpose of this chapter, the term "nuisance" is defined to mean any condition, structure or improvement which shall constitute a threat or potential threat to the health, safety or welfare of the citizens of the Township of Middletown. This includes, but is not limited to, the keeping or the depositing on or the scattering over the premises of any of the following:
(1) 
Junk, trash, debris, garbage or rubbish.
(2) 
Abandoned, discarded or unused objects or equipment such as automobiles, trucks, mowers, tractors, furniture, stoves, refrigerators, freezers, appliances, cans or containers, or parts thereof.
(3) 
Any compost pile which is of such a nature as to spread or harbor disease, emit unpleasant odors or harmful gas, or attract rodents, vermin or other disease-carrying pests, animals or insects, provided that the presence of earthworms in a compost pile shall not constitute a nuisance.
B. 
Keeping unsanitary matter on premises. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep or permit another to keep, upon any premises, deleterious or septic material, unless such material is retained in containers or vessels which deny access to humans, flies, insects, rodents and animals.
No person owning, leasing, occupying or having charge of any premises shall maintain, keep or permit the maintenance of any nuisance as defined above thereon, nor shall any such person keep, maintain or permit the maintenance of such premises in a manner causing a threat or potential threat to the health, safety or welfare of the citizens of the Township of Middletown.
No person in charge of or in control of premises, whether as owner, lessee, tenant, occupant or otherwise, shall allow any partially dismantled, wrecked, junked, discarded or otherwise nonoperating motor vehicle to remain on such property longer than 10 days, and no person shall leave any such vehicle on any property within the Township for a longer time than 10 days; except that this section shall not apply with regard to any vehicle in an enclosed building or so located upon the premises as not to be readily visible from any public place or from any surrounding private property. This chapter shall, further, not apply with regard to any vehicle on the premises of a business enterprise operated in a lawful place and lawful manner, other than in a residential district, if said vehicle is an integral part of the operation of such business enterprise; or with regard to a vehicle in an appropriate storage place or depository maintained in a lawful place and manner by the Township or any other public agency or entity.
Enforcement of this chapter and all of its provisions may be accomplished by the Township in any manner authorized by law, including an action in the courts of equity by a proper proceeding to enjoin and/or abate any of the above-named violations by action to be instituted by the Board of Supervisors for that purpose, and in addition, any person who by reason of another's violation of any provision of this chapter suffers special damage to himself different from that suffered by other property owners throughout the Township generally may bring an action to enjoin or otherwise abate an existing violation.
[Amended 12-1-1992 by Ord. No. 92-13; 6-23-1998 by Ord. No. 98-08]
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any provision of this chapter, 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 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 chapter continues or each section of this chapter which shall be found to have been violated shall constitute a separate offense.