[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:
The owner of any manufactured home community or any person
designated by the owner to operate, manage and/or administer any manufactured
home community.
An officer or inspector of the Bucks County Department of
Health.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
