PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1279 PRINTER'S NO. 2550
No. 1131 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY RAMOS, REINARD, PETRONE, MARSICO, PIPPY, DEMPSEY,
HENNESSEY, YOUNGBLOOD, CORRIGAN, ROSS, ARGALL, L. I. COHEN,
COSTA, STEVENSON, BUNT, WRIGHT, FICHTER, READSHAW, FREEMAN,
McILHINNEY, WOGAN, STEELMAN, MAHER, E. Z. TAYLOR, MANDERINO
AND BROWNE, MARCH 29, 1999
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON URBAN AFFAIRS, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, OCTOBER 26, 1999
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of June 25, 1919 (P.L.581, No.274), entitled
2 "An act for the better government of cities of the first
3 class of this Commonwealth," limiting the issuance of
4 permits, licenses, variances and approvals.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Section 1 of Article IV of the act of June 25,
8 1919 (P.L.581, No.274), referred to as the First Class City
9 Government Law, is amended to read:
10 ARTICLE IV.
11 Officers and Employes in General.
12 Section 1. (a) Except as herein otherwise provided, the
13 powers, functions, and duties of all executive departments,
14 bureaus, boards, divisions, officers, and employes of such
15 cities shall continue as now provided by law.
16 (b) Any officer of the city may deny issuing to any
17 applicant a building permit, zoning permit, zoning variance,
1 municipal license, municipal permit or municipal approval for
2 contemplated action requiring such approval if the applicant: <--
3 owns any real property in any municipality in Pennsylvania which
4 is tax delinquent or in violation of any State or municipal
5 housing, building, property maintenance or fire safety code
6 requirement. All municipal variances, approvals, permits, or
7 licenses may be withheld by the officer until the applicant
8 satisfactorily demonstrates that all real property owned by the
9 applicant in Pennsylvania is in code compliance and is not tax
10 delinquent.
11 (1) OWNS ANY REAL PROPERTY IN ANY MUNICIPALITY IN THIS <--
12 COMMONWEALTH WHICH IS TAX DELINQUENT; OR
13 (2) OWNS ANY PROPERTY IN THIS COMMONWEALTH THAT HAS BEEN
14 DETERMINED TO BE IN SERIOUS VIOLATION OF APPLICABLE STATE OR
15 MUNICIPAL HOUSING, BUILDING, PROPERTY MAINTENANCE, OR FIRE
16 SAFETY CODE REQUIREMENTS, AND HAS NOT TAKEN SUBSTANTIAL STEPS TO
17 BRING THE PROPERTY INTO CODE COMPLIANCE.
18 ALL MUNICIPAL VARIANCES, APPROVALS, PERMITS, OR LICENSES MAY
19 BE WITHHELD UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THE APPLICANT SATISFACTORILY
20 DEMONSTRATES THAT ALL REAL PROPERTY OWNED BY THE APPLICANT IN
21 THIS COMMONWEALTH IS NOT TAX DELINQUENT, IS IN CODE COMPLIANCE,
22 OR SUBSTANTIAL STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO BRING THE PROPERTY INTO
23 CODE COMPLIANCE.
24 (C) FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION:
25 "SERIOUS VIOLATIONS" SHALL MEAN HOUSING, BUILDING, PROPERTY
26 MAINTENANCE, OR FIRE SAFETY CODE VIOLATIONS THAT POSE AN
27 IMMEDIATE THREAT TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF DWELLING OCCUPANTS
28 OR OCCUPANTS IN SURROUNDING STRUCTURES AND PASSERS BY.
29 "SUBSTANTIAL STEPS" SHALL MEAN AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION ON THE
30 PART OF THE PROPERTY OWNER OR MANAGING AGENT AS DETERMINED BY
19990H1131B2550 - 2 -
1 THE MUNICIPALITY TO REMEDY CODE VIOLATIONS, INVOLVING PHYSICAL
2 IMPROVEMENTS OR PREPARATIONS TO THE PROPERTY.
3 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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