[Ord. 4/13/2000, § 201]
1. 
Unless otherwise specifically defined below, words or phrases used herein shall be interpreted so as to give them the same meaning as they have in common usage and so as to give this Part its most reasonable application consistent with its intent.
BOARD
The Board of Supervisors of the Township of Montour. (See "Township" hereinbelow.)
DANGEROUS BUILDINGS
All the buildings or structures which have any or all of the following defects; and, all such buildings or structures shall be deemed dangerous buildings:
A. 
Those which have been damaged by fire, wind or other cause so as to fail utterly to provide the amenities essential to decent living and are unfit for human habitation.
B. 
Those which have been damaged by fire, wind or other cause so as to have become dangerous to the life and safety, morals or the general health and welfare of the occupants or the people of the Township.
C. 
Those which have become or are so dilapidated, decayed, unsafe or unsanitary, or which so utterly fail to provide the amenities essential to decent living as to render them unfit for human habitation.
D. 
Those which have become or are so dilapidated, decayed, unsafe or unsanitary, or which so utterly fail to provide the amenities essential to decent living as to render them likely to cause accidents, sickness, or disease, so as to work injury to the health, morals, safety or general welfare of those living therein as well as other citizens of the Township.
E. 
Those which have parts thereof which are so attached that they might fall and injure members of the public or adjoining property.
F. 
Those which because of their general condition are unsafe, unsanitary or dangerous to the health, morals, safety or general welfare of the people of the Township.
SHALL
Is always mandatory and not merely directory.
TOWNSHIP
The Township of Montour, County of Columbia, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
2. 
Words used in the present tense include the future and past, words in the plural number include the singular, words in the singular number include the plural, and words either in the feminine, masculine or neuter shall include words of the other two genders.
[Ord. 4/13/2000, § 202]
1. 
All dangerous buildings are hereby declared to be public nuisances and shall be repaired, vacated or demolished.
2. 
Each day a nuisance in the form of a dangerous building continues, after notice is given that said dangerous building is to be repaired, vacated or demolished, shall constitute a separate offense in violation of this Part.
[Ord. 4/13/2000, § 203]
Whenever it shall be reported or come to the attention of any Township official or police officer that any building or structure, completed or in the process of construction, or any portion thereof, is in a dangerous condition, such person shall report the same to the Board, and the Board shall immediately designate a Township official, employee or police officer to make an investigation and examination of such building or structure. If such investigation or examination indicates such building or structure is a dangerous building, a written report of such investigation shall be sent to the Board, specifying the exact condition of such building or structure and setting forth whether or in what respect the structure is dangerous and whether the structure is capable of being properly repaired or whether it should be removed as a dangerous building.
[Ord. 4/13/2000, § 204]
1. 
The Board shall:
A. 
Upon receipt of a report in accordance with the investigation procedure provided for in § 10-203 of this Part, give written notice to the owner or owners of such dangerous building as determined by the record in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds in and for the County of Columbia in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or failing to find any owner or owners, then such occupant, mortgagee, lessee, agent or other person with an interest in said dangerous building who may be located, to appear before the Board on the date specified in the notice to show cause why the building or structure reported to be a dangerous building should not be repaired, demolished or vacated in accordance with the statement of particulars set forth in the notice provided for herein.
B. 
Within not less than 10 nor more than 60 days from the date of such notice, hold a hearing and hear such testimony as the owner, occupant, mortgagee, lessee or other person having an interest in said building shall offer related to the dangerous building.
C. 
Within 60 days of such hearing, make written findings of fact from the testimony offered pursuant to the hearing as to whether or not the building in question is a dangerous building.
D. 
Within 60 days following the hearing provided for by Subsection (B) above, issue an order, based upon the findings of fact made pursuant to Subsection (C) above, demanding that the owner of said building repair, demolish or vacate the same if it is determined to be a dangerous building.
[Ord. 4/13/2000, § 205]
1. 
The following standards shall be followed in substance by the Board in ordering repair, vacation or demolition of a dangerous building:
A. 
If the dangerous building can be repaired as determined by the Board so that it will no longer exist in violation of the terms of this Part, the Board shall order that it be repaired.
B. 
If the dangerous building is in such condition as to make it dangerous to the health, morals, safety or general welfare of its occupants, the Board shall order that it be vacated.
C. 
If the dangerous building cannot be reasonably repaired as determined by the Board, the Board shall order that it be demolished.
D. 
If the dangerous building is a fire hazard or is existing or erected in violation of the terms of this Part, any other ordinance of the Township or any statute of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Board shall order that it be demolished.
[Ord. 4/13/2000, § 206]
1. 
If any structure is deemed to be a dangerous building within the standards of this Part, the Board shall forthwith cause notice to be served upon the owner or owners of such dangerous building as determined by the record in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds in and for the County of Columbia in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, or failing to find any owner or owners, then such occupant, mortgagee, lessee, agent or any other person with an interest in said dangerous building who may be located.
2. 
The notice required by this section shall be served personally upon the owner or owners of a dangerous building if such owner resides, or such owners reside in the Township or personally upon his agent if such agent resides within the Township. If personal service required herein cannot be obtained, such notice shall be sent to the owner or owners of a dangerous building by certified mail at the last known address according to the records available in the Tax Assessment Office in and for the County of Columbia in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
3. 
Such notice shall identify the building or structure deemed dangerous, contain a statement of the particulars which make the building or structure a dangerous building and include an order requiring the same to be put in such condition as to conform with the terms of this Part; provided, further, that in any case where the notice prescribes the repair of any structure, the owner thereof shall have the option to remove such structure in lieu of making the repairs thereto within the time period provided.
4. 
Such notice shall require any person notified to repair, vacate or demolish any building to commence the work or act required by the notice within 10 days of such notice and to comply with such repair, vacation or demolition within 60 days from the receipt of such notice.
5. 
The Board shall cause to be placed on all dangerous buildings a notice reading substantially as follows:
This building has been found to be a dangerous building by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of Montour, County of Columbia, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This notice is to remain on this building until it is repaired, vacated or demolished in accordance with the notice which has been given to the owner, occupant, lessee, mortgagee or agent of the building. It is unlawful to remove this notice until compliance is made under the terms contained in the notice served on the above-named party.
[Ord. 4/13/2000, § 207]
1. 
All fines provided for in this section shall be in addition to costs.
2. 
Any person who shall fail to comply with any notice or order to repair, vacate or demolish any dangerous building, which notice is served by any person authorized to do so by the Board, shall, upon conviction before a Magisterial District Judge, be subject to a fine not exceeding $300; and, in default of payment of the fine and costs, shall be subject to imprisonment for a period not exceeding 30 days.
3. 
Any person removing the notice provided for in § 10-206(5) of this Part shall, upon conviction before a Magisterial District Judge, be subject to a fine not exceeding $100; and, in default of payment of the fine and costs, shall be subject to imprisonment for a period not exceeding 15 days.
4. 
Any person having an interest in any building who fails to comply with any notice or order to repair, vacate or demolish any dangerous building within 60 days of the receipt of such notice, by such failure, does empower the Board to cause such building or structure to be repaired, vacated or demolished by the Township and to cause the costs of such repair, vacation or demolition together with a penalty of 10% to be charged upon the land upon which the building exists as a municipal lien, or alternatively to recover such costs and penalty in a suit at law against the owner or owners but failing to recover same to have the judgment therefor to be charged upon the land as a lien; and, this subsection is separate from and in addition to the fine, penalty and costs which may be imposed by any other subsection of this § 10-207.
[Ord. 4/13/2000, § 208]
In cases where it reasonably appears that there exists an immediate danger to the life or safety of any person caused or created by a dangerous building, the Board shall cause the immediate repair, vacation or demolition of such dangerous building. The costs of such emergency repair, vacation or demolition of such dangerous building shall be collected as provided for in § 10-207(4) of this Part.