[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of Falls Township 3-16-1971;
amended in its entirety 9-18-1997 by Ord. No. 97-5. Subsequent amendments
noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
- COMMUNITY OPERATOR
- The owner of any manufactured home community or any person designated by the owner to operate, manage and/or administer any manufactured home community.
- HEALTH OFFICER
- An officer or inspector of the Bucks County Department of Health.
- LICENSE
- A certificate of registration or written approval, on forms provided by Falls Township, authorizing a person or persons to operate and maintain a manufactured home community.
- MANUFACTURED HOME
- A dwelling unit manufactured in one or more sections and designed for long term occupancy, containing living and sleeping accommodations, a flush toilet, a tub or shower, kitchen facilities, plumbing and electrical connections provided for attachment to an outside system, and designed to be transported after fabrication on its own wheels or on a flatbed or other trailer, arriving at the site where it is to be occupied as a complete dwelling. Usually the major appliances are ready for occupancy except for minor and incidental assembly operations.
- MANUFACTURED HOME COMMUNITY
- A parcel of land under single ownership, which has been planned and improved for the placement of two or more manufactured homes for nontransient use.
- MANUFACTURED HOME PLACEMENT
- The delivery, construction and installation which is required for a manufactured home, including the foundation system, required structural connections thereto, and the installation of on-site water, gas, electrical and sewer systems and connections thereto which are necessary for the normal operation of the manufactured home.
- MANUFACTURED HOME SITE
- A parcel of land designed to accommodate a manufactured home, for the placement of a manufactured home and the exclusive use of its occupants, including the manufactured home foundation and the yard.
- PERSON
- Any individual, firm, trust, partnership, public or private association or corporation or any other entity.
A.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate any manufactured
home community within the limits of the Township of Falls, Bucks County, Pennsylvania,
containing two or more manufactured home sites, unless such person holds a
license issued annually in January by Falls Township in the name of such person
for the specific manufactured home community.
B.
Every person holding a license shall file with the Township
of Falls, in writing, annually each year, no later than January 15, a list
of all the manufactured homeowners, manufactured home tenants, a lot location
and other information as prescribed on the forms provided by the Township
at the time of registration.
C.
A license shall not be transferable without the consent
of the Falls Township Board of Supervisors.
The annual license fee for each manufactured home community shall be
$10 per manufactured home site, which shall be payable on or before the 15th
day of January of each year at the time of registration.
The Township Manager or his designee shall be responsible for inspection
and enforcement of this chapter.
A.
It shall be the duty of the Township Manager or his designee
to examine all manufactured home communities within the boundaries of the
Township of Falls, at reasonable intervals and at reasonable times, to determine
compliance with this chapter and other ordinances of the Township pertaining
to manufactured home communities and compliance with the regulations of the
Bucks County Department of Health.
B.
Whenever the Township Manager or his designee finds any
such violations, he shall give written notice to the community operator, setting
forth the violation, and thereupon it shall be the duty of the community operator
and/or owner to correct the conditions set forth in the notice within 10 days
of the receipt of such notice or within such longer period of time as set
forth in the notice.
C.
In the event that the community operator shall neglect,
refuse or fail to make the corrections set forth in such notice from the Township
Manager or his designee within the time specified, the Township Manager or
his designee shall suspend the license and give notice, in writing, of such
suspension to the person to whom the license was issued. The person to whom
the license or citation was issued and/or owner shall each be then subject
to the penalties for violation of this chapter as hereinafter specifically
set forth.
The location of all manufactured home communities shall be:
A.
The ground surface in all parts of the manufactured home
community shall be graded and equipped to drain all surface water in a safe,
efficient manner.
B.
Surface water collectors and other bodies of standing
water capable of breeding mosquitoes and other insects shall be eliminated
or controlled in a manner approved by the Township of Falls.
C.
Stormwater shall not drain into any sanitary sewer system.
D.
Drainage problems that are discovered on any existing
manufactured home community shall be corrected by the community owner at the
community's expense within a reasonable amount of time. Any debate on whether
a drainage problem truly exists shall be determined by the Township Engineer.
A.
Each manufactured home site shall be clearly identified
by number.
C.
The number of occupied manufactured homes permitted in
a manufactured home community shall not exceed the number of manufactured
home sites.
D.
Each manufactured home site shall abut upon a surfaced
macadamized roadway of a width not less than required as specified below.
E.
Anchorage of manufactured home site.
(1)
Each manufactured home site shall be provided with approved
devices for anchoring the unit to prevent overturning or uplift.
(2)
The owner of the manufactured home site shall anchor
or cause to be anchored all manufactured homes, regardless of age, located
in the manufactured home community. Where concrete platforms or piers are
used for the anchorage of the home, such anchorage shall be provided by eyelet
embedded into concrete with adequate plates or hooks or other suitable means.
The anchorage shall be adequate to withstand wind forces and uplift, as required
by the Township Building Code.
(3)
In addition, all new manufactured homes placed on a site
must be provided with a foundation system that complies with the Township
Building Code.
A.
Roads shall be designed so as to permit convenient and
safe movement of traffic and unobstructed access to a public street or highway.
The entrance roads connecting the manufactured home community streets with
the public street or road shall have a minimum road pavement width of 34 feet
for a distance of 150 feet. Internal roads shall have a minimum paved cartway
surface width of not less than 24 feet. There shall be no on-street parking
by the owners of manufactured homes.
B.
All roads shall be constructed in accordance with the
specifications adopted by the Falls Township Board of Supervisors and shall
be maintained in a state of good repair and free from potholes by the manufactured
home community owner or operator.
A.
The manufactured home community operator shall provide
every manufactured home site with electrical power and an approved fuel tank
unless the community provides a central distribution system. Installation,
replacement and maintenance of the fuel tank shall be the responsibility of
the community operator. An electrical service supplying at least 110/115 volts
shall be provided for every manufactured home site. In no instance shall any
power line across the manufactured home area be less than 18 feet above the
ground.
B.
Electric distribution systems shall conform with the
current National Electrical Code.
C.
All manufactured home streets shall be so lighted as
to permit safe movement of vehicles and pedestrians at night. The lighting
must be available at all times starting one hour after sunset and remaining
lighted until one hour after sunrise. Such lighting shall be located as approved
by the Falls Township Board of Supervisors and the power company regulating
such systems.
D.
Heat tape.
(1)
All manufactured homes sold in Falls Township after this
date must show proof of heat tape replacement with Frostex-type tape or its
equivalent within the last three years. Such installation shall be done in
a safe manner and in accordance with manufacturer's instructions.
(2)
On existing manufactured homes, heat tapes other than
Frostex or its equivalent must be replaced. Any tape older than five years
and not Frostex or its equivalent must be replaced with Frostex or its equivalent.
Tape must be installed with fused plug as provided by the manufacturer.
A.
An adequate supply of potable water shall be provided
in each manufactured home community. The water shall be obtained from a public
potable water supply if available at the boundary of the manufactured home
community. If public water supply is not so available, an approved potable
water supply system shall be constructed in accordance with the standards
established by the Bucks County Department of Health and be approved prior
to its use.
B.
A water distribution system shall be provided to transmit
the potable water supply throughout the manufactured home community. The supply
shall be made available to each manufactured home site, building or other
facility requiring water via a separate water supply at a pressure and flow
specified in the current Township Plumbing Code for new manufactured homes
and at available street or well pressure for existing manufactured homes.
C.
An individual water riser shall be located within the
confined area of each manufactured home site at a point where the water connection
will approximate a vertical position. The riser outlet shall be so designed
that a watertight connection can be made between the outlet and the manufactured
home piping system. The water riser shall extend at least four inches above
the ground elevation. The outlet shall be plugged or capped when not in use.
Adequate provisions shall be made to prevent freezing of surface lines and
to protect risers from heaving and thawing action of ground during freezing
weather. Surface drainage shall be diverted from the location of the riser
pipe. Each riser shall be provided with a shutoff valve conveniently available
to the tenant in the event of an emergency.
D.
All individual plumbing installations and connections
must be approved by the Falls Township Plumbing Inspector. A permit must be
obtained prior to installation, and an inspection shall be made thereafter.
A.
An adequate and safe sanitary sewer system shall be provided
in each manufactured home community for conveying and disposing of sewage
from manufactured homes. Such system shall be designed, constructed and maintained
in accordance with the Bucks County Department of Health.
B.
All individual sewerage installations and connections
must be approved by the Falls Township Plumbing Inspector. A plumbing permit
must be obtained prior to installation, and an inspection shall be made thereafter.
C.
Where a public sewer system is available or becomes available
within 150 feet of the boundary of any manufactured home community, it must
be connected to such system unless exempted in writing by the Bucks County
Department of Health. Where the sewer lines of the manufactured home community
are not connected to a public sewer, all sewage disposal facilities shall
be approved by the Bucks County Department of Health. Where the sewer lines
of the manufactured home community are not connected to a public sewer, all
sewage disposal facilities shall be approved by the Bucks County Department
of Health prior to construction.
D.
Sewer connections or other disposal systems in unoccupied
home sites shall be kept tightly closed.
A.
The storage and collection of refuse shall be so managed
as to prevent health hazards, rodent harborage, insect breeding, accident
hazards or air pollution.
B.
It is the duty of the community operator to require that
each manufactured home in the community be equipped with at least two twenty-gallon
containers that are watertight and fly and rodent proof for each manufactured
home site for the disposal of all refuse. Refuse shall be emptied a minimum
of once a week by the park operator. At least one recycling container, per
site, shall be required.
A.
Insect and rodent control measures shall be taken by
the community operator to safeguard public health, as recommended by the Bucks
County Department of Health. Accumulation of debris which may provide harborage
for rodents shall not be permitted in the manufactured home community.
B.
When rats or other rodents are known to be in or near
the manufactured home community, the community operator shall take definite
action under the direction of the Bucks County Department of Health to exterminate
same. Suitable measures as recommended by the Health Officer shall be taken
by the community operator to control other insects and obnoxious weeds.
A.
The park operators shall be subject to the rules and
regulations of the Falls Township Fire Code. It shall be the duty of the community
operator to instruct all tenants in the manner in which to summon firefighting
apparatus, police and medical help and in the proper operation of fire extinguishers.
B.
Fire hydrants shall be installed if the source of water
supply is from the public water supply system. It is the duty of the community
operator to provide for or require that each manufactured home in the community
be equipped with at least one approved hand-operated fire extinguisher of
the type suitable for use in oil fires, preferably the foam type. The extinguisher
shall be installed on the inside of the manufactured home in a fixed location,
preferably near a door, but in no case in close proximity to a cooking or
heating stove. Each extinguisher shall be maintained in a workable condition
at all times.
C.
Each community operator shall keep the community free
of litter, rubbish and other flammable material.
A.
No permanent additions of any kind shall be built onto
or become part of any manufactured home without approval of the Township of
Falls. Skirting of manufactured homes is required.
B.
Skirting, when installed, shall be of material suitable
for exterior exposure and contact with the ground. Permanent perimeter enclosures
shall be constructed of materials as required by this code for regular foundation
construction.
C.
Skirting shall be installed in accordance with the skirting
manufacturer's installation instructions. Skirting shall be adequately secured
to assure stability, to minimize vibration and susceptibility to wind damage,
and to compensate for possible frost heave. All utility shut-off valves should
be adequately identified on the access panel(s).
The community operator to whom a license is issued for a manufactured
home community shall operate the community in compliance with this chapter
and shall:
A.
Provide adequate supervision and maintenance to the community,
its facilities and equipment in good repair and in a clean and sanitary condition.
B.
Supervise the set up of each manufactured home to meet
all Township codes. This includes securing its stability and installing all
utility connections.
C.
Notify every tenant and registered owner of a manufactured
home of the tenant's duty to obtain a removal permit from the local Tax Collector
before removing his manufactured home from the community to a point outside
of the Township, in accordance with the Act of July 8, 1969, No. 54, 72 P.S.
§ 5020-407(d), (e) and (f).
E.
Comply with adopted Falls Township Codes and Ordinances.
F.
Provide a written lease to each tenant, setting forth
the conditions of his tenancy. It is recommended that each lease be for at
least one year in order to provide for stability of the population in the
community itself.
G.
Keep a register containing a record of all manufactured
homeowners and occupants located within the community.
(2)
The community operator shall keep the register available
for inspection at all times by law enforcement officers, public health officials
and other officials whose duties necessitate acquisition of the information
contained in the register. The register records shall not be destroyed for
a period of three years following the date of registration.
[Amended 1-25-2001 by Ord.
No. 2001-1]
Any person, firm or corporation who violates or permits a violation
of this chapter shall be guilty of a summary violation and, upon conviction,
shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000, plus all court costs,
including reasonable attorney's fees, incurred by the Township in the enforcement
of this chapter. Each day a violation exists shall constitute a separate offense.
In default of the payment of any fine, the defendant shall be sentenced to
imprisonment to the extent allowed by law for the punishment of summary offenses.
Further, the appropriate officers or agents of the Township are hereby authorized
to file a citation for such summary violation and seek any other available
relief at law or equity, including injunction, to enforce compliance with
this chapter.
In case a provision of this chapter is found to be in conflict with
provisions of any zoning, building, fire, safety or health ordinance of this
Township[1] or state law or regulation existing at the effective date of this
chapter, the provisions which establish the highest standards for the promotion
of the protection of the health and welfare of the people shall prevail.
