This chapter shall be enforced by the Zoning Officer of the
Township. No building permit or certificate of use and occupancy shall
be granted by him/her for any purpose except in compliance with the
literal provisions of this chapter. The Zoning Officer may be authorized
to institute civil enforcement proceedings as a means of enforcement
when acting within his/her scope of employment.
Any person, partnership or corporation who or which has violated
or permitted the violation of the provisions of this chapter enacted
under the Act or prior enabling laws 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 attorney fees incurred by the Township as a result thereof.
No judgment shall commence or be imposed, levied or be payable until
the date of the determination of a violation by the 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. Each day that a violation continues shall constitute
a separate violation, unless the District Justice, determining that
there has been a violation, further determines that there was a good-faith
basis for the person, partnership or corporation violating this 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 District Justice, and thereafter each day that a violation continues
shall constitute a separate violation. All judgments, costs and reasonable
attorney fees collected for the violation of this chapter shall be
paid over to the Township.
In case any building, structure, landscaping or land is erected,
constructed, reconstructed, altered, repaired, converted or maintained
or any building, structure or land is used or any hedge, tree, shrubs
or other growth is maintained in violation of this chapter or of any
regulations made pursuant hereto, in addition to other remedies provided
by law, any appropriate action or proceedings, whether by legal process
or otherwise, may be instituted or taken to prevent such unlawful
erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, conversion,
maintenance or use to restrain, correct or abate such violation, to
prevent the occupancy of said building, structure or land or to prevent
any illegal act, conduct, business or use in or about such premises.