[Ord. 132, 12/17/1990, portions of § 1]
For the purpose of this Ordinance, the following terms are defined:
CLEARLY VISIBLE
Displayed in a manner which allows the sign to be clearly
seen, day or night, from the street in front of the building, unobstructed
by trees, shrubs, vegetation or structure upon the property.
HOUSE NUMBER
The number which has been legally assigned to a residence,
apartment building or business for the purpose of identification and
for use by the United States Postal Service for the delivery of mail.
PROPERTY OWNER
The person(s), corporation(s) or other legal entity(s)
who own or lease any residence, apartment building or business located
within the Township of Lower Heidelberg.
[Ord. 132, 12/17/1990, portions of § 2]
The property owner of each residence, apartment building or
business shall provide and display the legally assigned House Number
and/or other required identification as follows:
(a) House Number. The owner of any residence, apartment building or business
shall display the House Number in such a fashion that it is clearly
visible from the street, day or night. The House Number shall be made
up of numbers and/or letters which are not less than three inches
in height, contrasting in color with the background on which they
are affixed, and as near to the front entrance as possible and practical.
(b) Private Lane. The owner of any residence, apartment building or business
which is located on a private lane which intersects with a public
street shall display the legally assigned House Number at the intersection
of the private lane and the public street and shall also display the
House Number at the intersection of the private lane and the driveway,
and shall furthermore display the House Number on the residence, apartment
building or business nearest the point where a vehicle would stop
at the building. Each display of House Numbers shall be made up of
numbers which are not less than three inches in height and contrasting
in color with the background on which they are affixed. At the intersection
of the private lane and the public street and each intersection of
the private lane and driveway, the numbers shall be placed upon a
post or other structure which displays the numbers 48 inches above
the ground.
(c) Malls and Shopping Centers. The property owner of any business which
is located within a mall or shopping center shall display the legally
assigned number at the main entrance to the business. The numbers
shall be not less than three inches in height and contrasting in color
with the background on which they are affixed. Additionally, the property
owner of each business located within a mall or shopping center shall
display the name of the business on the rear door to the building
in letters which are not less than three inches in height and contrasting
in color with the background on which they are affixed.
(d) Additional Numbers. If any residence, apartment building or business
(except malls and shopping centers) is located so that the House Number
is not clearly visible from the street, an additional House Number
shall be posted at the intersection of the driveway with the public
street. The additional House Number shall be made up of numbers which
are not less than three inches in height, contrasting in color with
the background on which they are affixed, and placed upon a post or
other structure which displays the number 48 inches above the ground.
[Ord. 132, 12/17/1990, portion of § 3]
The property owner of any residence, apartment building or business
shall maintain the clearly visible display of House Numbers as required
under this Ordinance at all times.
[Ord. 132, 12/17/1990, § 4]
The Board of Supervisors of the Township or any officer/employee
designated thereby for the purpose are hereby authorized to enter
upon private property for the purposes of inspection and to give notice
by personal service or by certified mail to persons in violation of
this Ordinance, directing them to abate the situation within 10 days
after issuance of such notice. Each day that a violation continues
shall constitute a separate violation, if a separate proceeding is
instituted therefor, and the violator shall be convicted thereof.
[Ord. 132, 12/17/1990, § 5]
Any property owner or lessee who has violated the terms of this
Ordinance, upon conviction thereof before a District Justice or the
Court of Common Pleas of Berks County, after hearing held, shall be
subject to a fine of not more than $600, plus the costs of prosecution.
[Ord. 132, 12/17/1990, § 6]
Should any section, paragraph, clause or phrase of this Ordinance
be declared unconstitutional or invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction,
the remainder of said Ordinance shall not be affected thereby and
shall remain in full force and effect.
[Ord. 85, 3/19/1984, § 1]
Whenever it shall be reported to a Township Supervisor, the
Township Police, the Township Secretary or the Township Clerk that
any structure, completed or in the process of completion, or any part
thereof, is in a dangerous condition or constitutes a nuisance, for
any reason, including but not limited to fire and other casualty damaged
buildings or structures which have been vacated and/or are in a state
of general disrepair or deterioration, the Township Building Inspector(s)
shall immediately cause an investigation to be made of such structure.
If such investigation or examination reveals such structure, or portion
thereof, to be in a dangerous condition or to be a nuisance, in any
respect, the Township Building Inspector(s) shall report same to the
Township Supervisors, specifying the condition of said structure,
setting forth whether and in what respect the said structure is dangerous
or constitutes a nuisance, and, if so, whether said structure is capable
of being repaired or whether it should be removed.
[Ord. 85, 3/19/1984, § 2]
If any structure, or part thereof, is reported by the Township
Building Inspector(s), as provided in Section 201 of this chapter,
to be dangerous or to constitute a nuisance, the Board of Supervisors
may cause written notice of the dangerous condition or nuisance to
be served upon the owner, or if there is no known owner upon the occupier,
if any, of the structure. Such notice shall require the owner, or
occupier if there is no known owner, of said structure to commence
within 10 days and to pursue without delay to completion the repairs
necessary to eliminate the dangerous or nuisance condition(s) in said
structure, or to commence with the removal of said structure where
repairs would appear to be economically not feasible. The owner or
occupier, as the case may be, shall have the option, where the notice
prescribes repairs to the structure, to remove said structure instead
of making repairs thereto. The removal or repair of the structure
following said notice, as the case may be, shall be completed, in
any case, within 60 days after said notice is received or posted as
hereinafter provided.
[Ord. 85, 3/19/1984, § 3]
The notice required by Section 202 of this chapter shall be
served personally upon the owner, or occupier, as the case may be,
of the structure, if such owner or occupier resides in the Township
of Lower Heidelberg, or upon the agent of such owner, if such agent
has a residence or place of business within said Township. If the
owner is not a Township resident, or has no resident agent, service
shall be made by certified United States first class mail, to the
last known address of the owner. If there is no known owner or occupier
of said structure, said notice shall be served by posting same on
the structure.
[Ord. 85, 3/19/1984, § 4]
If the owner or occupier, as the case may be, of any dangerous
structure or structure constituting a nuisance, upon the receipt of
the notice required under Section 202 of this chapter, fails to complete
the repairs to or the removal of the structure, as the case may be,
within the time limit prescribed in said notice and this Ordinance,
and, upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to a fine of $600,
and costs of prosecution. Each day's continuance of a violation
shall constitute a separate offense. In addition, the Township may
institute an action seeking equitable relief to compel compliance
with the provisions of this Ordinance and/or in order to avoid a multiplicity
of suits or actions to collect the penalty prescribed herein.
[Ord. 85, 3/19/1984, § 5]
If the owner or occupier, as the case may be, of any dangerous
structure or of a structure which constitutes a nuisance, after receiving
or after posting of the notice required under Section 202 of this chapter,
fails to commence or complete the necessary repairs or removal within
the time limit prescribed in said notice and in this Ordinance, the
Board of Supervisors may cause such repairs or removal to be commenced
or completed by the Township, and the cost and expense thereof, together
with a penalty of 10%, shall be collected from the owner or occupier,
as the case may be, of the structure in the manner prescribed by law.
The recovery of such cost and expense, together with said penalty,
may be in addition to the penalty prescribed in Section 204 of this
chapter.
[Ord. 85, 3/19/1984, § 6]
The invalidity of any section or provision of this Ordinance
shall not invalidate any other sections or provisions of this Ordinance.