It shall be the duty of the Zoning Officer, and he is hereby given the power and authority, to enforce the provisions of this chapter. Permits for construction and uses which are a special exception to the requirements of this chapter shall be issued only upon order of the Zoning Hearing Board.
A. 
A permit shall be required prior to the erection or alteration of any building, structure or portion thereof and prior to the use or change in use of a building or land and prior to the change or extension of a nonconforming use.
B. 
Applications for permits shall be made to the Zoning Officer on such forms as may be furnished by the Township. Each application shall contain all information necessary for such official to ascertain whether the proposed erection, alteration, use or change of use complies with the provisions of this chapter.
C. 
No building permit or use and occupancy certificate shall be issued until the Zoning Officer or his or her designee has certified that the proposed building or alteration and the proposed use of the property complies with all the provisions of this chapter.
[Amended 11-14-1994 by Ord. No. 1994-4]
[Amended 11-14-1994 by Ord. No. 1994-4]
A. 
If it appears to the Township that a violation of this chapter has occurred, the Township shall initiate enforcement proceedings by sending an enforcement notice as provided in this section.
B. 
The enforcement notice shall be sent to the owner of record of the parcel on which the violation has occurred, to any person who has filed a written request to receive enforcement notices regarding that parcel and to any other person requested, in writing, by the owner of record.
C. 
An enforcement notice shall state at least the following:
(1) 
The name of the owner of record and any other person against whom the Township intends to take action.
(2) 
The location of the property in violation.
(3) 
The specific violation, with a description of the requirements which have not been met, citing in each instance the applicable provisions of this chapter.
(4) 
The date before which the steps for compliance must be commenced and the date before which the steps must be completed.
(5) 
That the recipient of the notice has the right to appeal to the Zoning Hearing Board within 30 calendar days in accordance with procedures set forth in this chapter and the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 10101 et seq.
(6) 
That failure to comply with the notice within the time specified, unless extended by appeal to the Zoning Hearing Board, constitutes a violation, with possible sanctions clearly described.
[Amended 11-14-1994 by Ord. No. 1994-4]
In case any building, structure, landscaping or land is or is proposed to be erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, converted, maintained or used in violation of this chapter, the Board of Supervisors or, with the approval of the Board of Supervisors, an officer of the Township or any aggrieved owner or tenant of real property who shows that his property or person will be substantially affected by the alleged violation, in addition to other remedies, may institute any appropriate action or proceeding to prevent, restrain, correct or abate such building, structure, landscaping or land or to prevent, in or about such premises, any act, conduct, business or use constituting a violation. When any such action is instituted by a landowner or tenant, notice of that action shall be served upon the Township at least 30 days prior to the time the action is begun by serving a copy of the complaint on the Board of Supervisors. No such action may be maintained until such notice has been given.
[Amended 11-14-1994 by Ord. No. 1994-4]
A. 
Any person, partnership or corporation who or which has violated or permitted the violation of the provisions of this chapter shall, upon being found liable therefor in a civil enforcement proceeding commenced by the Township, pay a judgment of not more than $500, plus all court costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the Township as a result thereof. No judgment shall commence or be imposed, levied or payable until the date of the determination of a violation by the Magisterial District Judge. If the defendant neither pays nor timely appeals the judgment, the Township may enforce the judgment pursuant to the applicable rules of civil procedure. Each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate violation, unless the Magisterial District Judge, determining that there has been a violation, further determines that there was a good faith basis for the person, partnership or corporation violating the chapter to have believed that there was no such violation, in which event there shall be deemed to have been only one such violation until the fifth day following the date of the determination of a violation by the Magisterial District Judge, and thereafter each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate violation. All judgments, costs and reasonable attorneys' fees collected for the violation of this chapter shall be paid over to the Township.
B. 
The Court of Common Pleas, upon petition, may grant an order of stay, upon cause shown, tolling the per diem fine pending a final adjudication of the violation and judgment.
C. 
Nothing contained in this section shall be construed or interpreted to grant to any person or entity other than the Township the right to commence any action for enforcement pursuant to this section.
D. 
The Magisterial District Judge shall have initial jurisdiction over proceedings brought under this section.