[Adopted 1-19-1977 by Ord. No. 718; amended in its entirety 6-25-2001 by Ord. No. 914]
[Amended 10-16-2017 by Ord. No. 1018]
A.
A certain document, three copies of which are on file in the office
of the Borough Hall of the Borough of Morrisville, being marked and
designated as the International Property Maintenance Code, 2015 Edition,
and any updated version thereof as published by the International
Code Council, is hereby adopted as the Property Maintenance Code of
the Borough of Morrisville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, for regulating
and governing the conditions and maintenance of all property, buildings
and structures; by providing the standards for supplied utilities
and facilities and other physical things and conditions essential
to ensure that structures are safe, sanitary and fit for occupation
and use; and the condemnation of buildings and structures unfit for
human occupancy and use, and the demolition of such existing structures
as herein provided; providing for the issuance of permits and collection
of fees therefor; and each and all regulations, provisions, penalties,
conditions and terms of said Property Maintenance Code on file in
the office of the Borough of Morrisville are hereby referred to, adopted,
and made a part hereof, as if fully set out in this section, with
the additions, insertions, deletions and changes, if any, prescribed
in this chapter.
B.
The following sections are hereby revised:
(1)
Section 101.1, insert: "Borough of Morrisville."
(2)
Section 103.5, insert: "As adopted from time to time by a fee schedule
of the Borough of Morrisville."
(3)
Section 112.4, replace "shall be liable for a fine of not less than
____ dollars or more than $___ dollars" with "shall be liable for
the fines and penalties outlined in this chapter."
(4)
Section 304.14, delete: "During the period of ____ to ______."
(5)
Section 602.3, delete "During the period from ____ to ______."
(6)
Section 602.4, delete: "During the period from ____ to ______."
C.
All portions of the 2015 International Property Maintenance Code
concerning grass, weeds, other vegetation, and swimming pools are
superseded by applicable Morrisville Borough ordinances.
A.
Prior to any change in occupancy or transfer of title
of any house, dwelling, dwelling unit or rooming house, which is used,
partially used or intended to be used for human occupancy, a certificate
of approval shall first have been obtained from the Building Official
or other designated officer of the Borough of Morrisville or any agent,
officer, or person duly authorized by the Council of the Borough of
Morrisville stating that the building and premises comply with the
requirements of all ordinances of the Borough of Morrisville.
B.
Said inspection shall be obtained either by the owner
or the owner's agent prior to the award of a certificate of approval
and any change in occupancy or transfer of title.
C.
In the event that said inspection results in the disclosure
of any violations, reinspections shall be obtained in the aforesaid
manner until all said violations are corrected, and all said violations
shall be corrected prior to the award of a certificate of approval
and any change in occupancy or transfer of title.
D.
In the alternative, said violations may be assumed
by the potential owner or owners in a change or transfer of title,
except in a rental, based on the condition that such violations will
be corrected within 30 days therefrom or within any extension of said
thirty-day period granted by the Building Official of the Borough
of Morrisville by following the aforesaid procedure for the award
of a certificate of approval. If such extension is granted, the potential
owner or owners shall indemnify and hold harmless the Borough.
E.
Criteria of inspection. Inspections pursuant to the
aforesaid subsection will be conducted using the following criteria:
(1)
All violations of Borough of Morrisville ordinances
will be reflected on the inspection report in order to provide notice
to the owner or prospective owner or occupant of said violations.
(2)
Those violations which are encountered and which pose
an actual or potential threat to the health, welfare and safety of
any potential occupant will be so designated to the owner, potential
owner or occupant, separately on said inspection report, and while
they may be assumed by the potential owner, they must be corrected
prior to any change in occupancy or transfer of title except as indicated
in Subsection D above.
(3)
A listing of the requirements subject to inspection
shall be set forth in writing and made available upon request to the
owner or owner's agent. It shall be the responsibility of the owner
or owner's agent to obtain information regarding the requirements
and have violations corrected prior to requesting the inspection.
(4)
Said violations that require a reinspection shall
be subject to a reinspection fee. Except that in the event an inspection
discloses a violation that is not specifically identified on the U&O
listing of requirements or a reinspection discloses a violation not
included on the inspection report, there shall be no charge for reinspection
of that violation.
(5)
There shall be a fee charged under this section prior
to the award of said certificate of approval for each inspection and
for each reinspection which shall be set forth in the established
Morrisville Borough Fee Schedule for each inspection, and for each
reinspection.
(6)
All fees collected under the provisions of this section
shall be paid to the Borough of Morrisville in order to defray the
costs of the aforesaid inspection.
Any person, owner, operator, etc., who shall
violate any provision of this article shall, upon conviction thereof,
be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000, together with
costs of prosecution, or to imprisonment for a term not to exceed
30 days. Every day that a violation of this article continues shall
constitute a separate offense.
In all matters that are regulated by the laws
of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or by regulations of departments
or agencies of the Commonwealth promulgated by authority of law, such
laws or regulations, as the case may be, shall control where the requirements
thereof are the same as or in excess of the provision of this article.
This article shall control in all cases where the State requirements
are not as strict as those contained in this article.
