A vacant building shall include, but shall not be limited to,
any and all houses, garages, barns, outbuildings, commercial buildings,
industrial buildings, and other structures of any kind or nature which
are not inhabited or otherwise occupied by humans on a daily basis
for greater than 30 days.
All vacant buildings shall have the doors and windows of such
buildings secured. In the event that any door or window is broken
or missing, the door or window must be replaced within 24 hours or
otherwise secured as follows:
A. Missing or broken doors and windows may be secured by securely affixing
plywood over the entire door or window. Within seven days after affixing
plywood to secure a door or window, the plywood shall be painted in
such a manner as to prevent the plywood from deteriorating due to
weather. The plywood shall be painted in a color which matches the
building.
B. In the event that the plywood is insufficient to secure the building
from vandals and other persons desiring to illegally gain entry, then
the broken windows and doors shall be secured with steel panels or
all of the windows and doors of the buildings shall be properly installed
and a working theft-prevention system shall be installed with an active
account with a third-party security company.
C. In the event that any window or door of a vacant building, whether
secured with plywood or otherwise, becomes broken or otherwise is
unsecured, such window or door shall be secured within 24 hours pursuant
to the provisions of the preceding paragraphs of this article.
All vacant buildings which have remained vacant for 90 days
or longer shall have exterior lighting at all entrances to and exits
from the building from dusk until dawn.
All vacant buildings shall be cleared and shall be maintained
free of accumulations of boxes, rags, debris, newspapers, flammable
materials, and hazardous or toxic chemicals.
All vacant buildings shall be maintained in such a condition
so that they are structurally sound and they shall not pose any safety
risk for any emergency personnel entering such buildings.
The Borough Building Inspector and/or the Borough Engineer and/or
any and all other Borough safety personnel, as well as a representative
of the Fire Department providing fire services to and for the Borough
of Trainer, shall have the right to complete an interior and exterior
inspection of all vacant buildings at any and all times. Vacant buildings
shall be subject, at a minimum, to inspection once every six months.
The owners of all vacant properties shall maintain their name,
address, and phone number with the Trainer Borough Building Inspector,
Trainer Borough Secretary, and Trainer Borough Police Chief at all
times.
The owners of all vacant properties shall maintain liability
insurance with a minimum coverage of $300,000 for residential properties
and $1,000,000 for commercial and industrial properties.
The owners of all vacant properties shall pay an inspection
fee to the Borough of Trainer in the amount of $150 every six months.
In the event that there is a break-in at the subject vacant property;
damage occurs to the subject vacant property; or other issue arises
which justifies an inspection of the subject vacant building more
often than once every six months, the owner of the vacant property
shall pay an additional inspection fee of $100 for each such additional
inspection. Circumstances which shall justify an additional inspection
include, but are not limited to, unsecured doors and/or windows, insect
or animal infestation, damages, break-ins, failure to maintain lighting
at the exits and entrances from dusk until dawn, decay, collapse,
plumbing problems, sewage problems, electrical problems, general deterioration,
and odor problems.
All vacant buildings shall be maintained in accordance with
all ordinances and codified ordinances of the Borough of Trainer related
to such structures, including, but not limited to, grass cutting and
snow removal.
The owners of all vacant buildings shall remove graffiti and
otherwise maintain the appearance of the building to prevent blight
upon the neighborhood.
All persons violating this article shall be fined in an amount
not exceeding $1,000 and/or imprisoned for not more than 90 days.