The Township declares its intention to seek reimbursement via
tax from the owners of any properties receiving the benefit of fire
hydrant services ("benefitted properties"). Benefitted properties
are those properties within the boundaries of the Township where a
fire hydrant presently exists or is installed within 780 feet of the
property. The list of benefitted properties will be determined by
the Board of Supervisors in its sole discretion.
Each benefitted property shall be taxed $20 annually. The tax
will be due by December 31 each year. A 10% late fee will be added
for payments received after that date. Every person subject to the
assessment imposed who fails to make payment of the tax and any applicable
late fee by June 30 of the tax year shall be subject to interest on
the unpaid amount at a rate of 1.5% per month, or fraction of a month,
computed upon the amount due until the date of payment. After July
15 of the tax year, unpaid prior year taxes and any additional fees
due will be submitted to the solicitor for filing a municipal lien.
The Board of Supervisors authorizes the Township Tax Collector
to prepare billing statements for the tax and collect the same from
all benefitted properties. The Township Manager will provide the Township
Tax Collector with a list of the benefitted properties by June 1 of
each calendar year so billing statements can be prepared and mailed.
Upon enactment of this article, the Board of Supervisors will direct the Township Manager to prepare a summary of the benefitted properties within the Township, provided that such updated summaries are completed in accordance with the timing set forth in §
388-51. The Board of Supervisors may authorize updated summaries on an annual basis, and the updated summaries shall be approved by official vote of the Board.
No tax shall be levied against any farmland or any airport that
is privately owned and is neither open nor intended to be open to
the public. Vacant lots between built-up sections, either tilled or
not tilled, are not farmland.
The Board of Supervisors will review the tax annually and adjust
it (through amendment of this article and vote of the Board) as necessary
for the next tax year.
[Added at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions,
Art. I)]
Any person who violates or permits a violation of this article
shall, upon being found liable therefor in a civil enforcement proceeding
commenced by the Township before a Magisterial District Judge, pay
a fine of not more than $600, plus all court costs, including reasonable
attorneys' fees, incurred by the Township in the enforcement of this
article. 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 a violation exists shall constitute a
separate offense. Further, the appropriate officers or agents of the
Township are hereby authorized to seek equitable relief, including
injunction, to enforce compliance herewith.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions
of this article are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict.
This article shall be effective five days after it is adopted.