[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of
Collingdale 5-4-2009 by Ord. No. 666. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following words shall,
for the purpose of this chapter, have the following meanings:
Any aerosol container that is adapted or made for the purpose
of applying spray paint or made for the purpose of applying spray
paint or other substances capable of defacing property.
Any felt-tipped indelible marker, or similar implement, with
a flat and/or angled writing surface that, at its broadest width,
is greater than 1/4 of an inch, containing ink or other pigmented
liquid that is not water-soluble.
Any tool, device or substance that can be used to make permanent
marks on any natural or man-made surface.
Any unauthorized inscription, word, figure, painting or other
defacement that is written, marked, etched, scratched, sprayed, drawn,
painted or engraved on or otherwise affixed to any surface of public
or private property, building, structure, facility or other improvements
by any graffiti implement, to the extent that the graffiti was not
authorized in advance by the owner or occupant of the property or,
despite advance authorization, is otherwise deemed a public nuisance
by the Borough Council.
An aerosol paint container, a broad-tipped marker, gum label,
paint stick or graffiti stick, etching equipment, brush or any other
device capable of scarring or leaving a visible mark on any natural
or man-made surface.
Any device containing a solid form of paint, chalk, wax,
epoxy or other similar substance capable of being applied to a surface
by pressure and leaving a mark at least 1/8 inch in width.
Any person under the age of 18 years.
Natural persons, firms, partnerships, corporations, associations
or other artificial bodies.
Includes any real estate, private or public, including improvements
thereon, and tangible personal property, including but not limited
to news boxes, newsstands, utility poles, public telephones, tree
planters and other items of street furniture and vehicles located
thereon.
A.
No person shall write, draw, paint, print or place with ink, paint,
chalk or other substance graffiti or other markings, whether obscene
or not, and whether intended to offend or not, on the real or personal
property of another, whether such property is publicly or privately
owned, unless the owner of said property shall have, prior to the
drawing, writing, printing or placing of such markings, specifically
consented to the same; nor shall any person willfully or maliciously
damage, deface or vandalize the property of another by inscribing
or placing graffiti or any other markings on a public or private street
or on public or private property, whether real or personal; provided,
however, that nothing contained herein shall prohibit the occasional
and temporary marking of public streets and sidewalks with chalk for
traditional children's games.
B.
It shall be unlawful for any person to possess a spray paint container,
liquid paint in cans, a broad-tipped marker or any other pigmented
substance in an aerosol or similar spray container in any public building
or upon any public facility or private property with the intent to
use the same to deface said building, facility or property. A person
who possesses a spray paint container, liquid paint in cans, a broad-tipped
marker or any other pigmented substance in an aerosol or similar spray
container in any public building or upon any public facility or private
property, with no legitimate or lawful purpose therefor, shall be
presumed to have possessed the same with the intention of using such
container, marker, can or paint to deface said building, facility
or property, the presumption capable of being rebutted by the possessor
by demonstrating a lawful, legitimate use for the container, marker,
can or paint.
C.
It shall be unlawful for any parent, legal guardian or other person
having custody, or in the presence of, any minor child under the age
of 18 years to assist, aid, abet, allow, permit or encourage said
minor to violate the provisions of this chapter, either by words,
overt act or by failing to act, or by lack of supervision and control
over said minor child.
A.
The existence of graffiti on public or private property in violation
of this chapter is expressly declared to be a public nuisance and,
therefore, is subject to the removal and abatement provisions specified
in this chapter.
B.
It is the duty of both the owner of the property to which the graffiti
has been applied and any person who may be in possession or who has
the right to possess such property to at all times keep the property
clear of graffiti.
A.
Removal by perpetrator. Any person who shall have been found to have
applied graffiti on public or private property shall have the duty
to remove said graffiti within 48 hours after notice to do so by the
Borough of Collingdale and/or by the owner of the property involved.
Such removal shall be done in a manner prescribed by the Chief of
the Police Department of Collingdale Borough or by his/her designee.
Any person who shall have so applied graffiti shall be responsible
for the removal or for payment of the costs incurred to remove said
graffiti. The failure of the responsible person to remove such graffiti
or to pay for the costs of its removal shall be deemed to constitute
an additional violation of this chapter. Where the perpetrator is
an unemancipated minor, the parents, legal guardian or other person
having custody of said minor also shall be responsible for the removal
of the graffiti or for the payment of costs incurred to effect such
removal.
B.
Removal by owner of property. In the event the perpetrator responsible
for the application of graffiti cannot be located, or should said
perpetrator fail to remove such graffiti as directed, it shall fall
to the owner of the premises or to that person who has primary responsibility
for the control, repair and maintenance of the property to remove
all graffiti from the real and/or personal property within 15 calendar
days of receipt of a notice from the Borough to do so. Said notice
to contain the following information:
(1)
The street address and other information as may be necessary to identify
sufficiently the property at issue.
(2)
A statement that the property is a potential graffiti nuisance property.
(3)
A statement that the graffiti must be removed within 15 calendar
days of the receipt of the notice and that, if the graffiti is not
removed within the time specified, the Borough of Collingdale will
declare the property to be a public nuisance.
(4)
An information sheet identifying any graffiti removal assistance
programs that may be available through the Borough.
C.
Removal by Borough. Whenever the perpetrator of the application of
graffiti cannot be located, or whenever such a perpetrator fails to
remove graffiti as required by the terms of this chapter, or when
the owner or the person with primary responsibility for a premises
cannot or will not remove graffiti, as directed by the Borough in
accordance with the terms of this chapter, then and in that instance
the Borough is hereby authorized to enter through its own forces or
by contractor onto the subject premises and to expend public funds
for the limited purposes of removing the graffiti and/or restoring
the specific area of the premises that has been defaced. In no instance
shall the Borough undertake to repair and restore an area more extensive
than the area that has been impaired by the graffiti. All reasonable
efforts to minimize damage from entry shall be taken by the Borough
and/or its contractors, and all reasonable efforts will be made to
cause the repainted, repaired area to blend with other areas of the
facade of the building, structure or facility upon which the graffiti
existed.
D.
Borough costs enforceable as debt-lien. Any and all costs incurred
by the Borough in the abatement and removal of the graffiti nuisance,
as provided for in this chapter, shall constitute a debt owed to the
Borough by the property owner or person with primary responsibility
and control of a premises, and said debt shall be enforceable as a
lien against the property upon which the nuisance existed in addition
to any and all other legal remedies available for enforcement of debts
owed.
E.
Extension. Upon written application by the property owner or occupant
showing good cause, the Borough may grant an extension of time for
the removal and/or abatement of the graffiti nuisance.
Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this chapter
or any resolutions or regulations made in pursuance hereof shall,
upon conviction thereof by a Magisterial District Judge, be subject
to a fine of not more than $1,000 or such lesser amount as is the
maximum penalty prescribed by law, together with the costs of prosecution,
for any single violation. Every violator of the provisions hereof
shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each and every day
that such violation shall continue, and he/she shall be subject to
the penalties imposed herein for each and every separate offense.
