PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 174                       PRINTER'S NO. 685

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 161 Session of 1977


        INTRODUCED BY MESSRS. LAUGHLIN, TRELLO, BRUNNER, KOLTER,
           DOMBROWSKI, SCHWEDER, MILANOVICH, LIVENGOOD, WILT, DeVERTER,
           L. E. SMITH, HALVERSON, REED, KNEPPER, TADDONIO AND
           PETRARCA, FEBRUARY 8, 1977

        AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON FINANCE, HOUSE OF
           REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, MARCH 15, 1977

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of July 7, 1947 (P.L.1368, No.542), entitled
     2     "An act amending, revising and consolidating the laws
     3     relating to delinquent county, city, except of the first and
     4     second class and second class A, borough, town, township,
     5     school district, except of the first class and school
     6     districts within cities of the second class A, and
     7     institution district taxes, providing when, how and upon what
     8     property, and to what extent liens shall be allowed for such
     9     taxes, the return and entering of claims therefor; the
    10     collection and adjudication of such claims, sales of real
    11     property, including seated and unseated lands, subject to the
    12     lien of such tax claims; the disposition of the proceeds
    13     thereof, including State taxes and municipal claims recovered
    14     and the redemption of property; providing for the discharge
    15     and divestiture by certain tax sales of all estates in
    16     property and of mortgages and liens on such property, and the
    17     proceedings therefor; creating a Tax Claim Bureau in each
    18     county, except a county of the first class, to act as agent
    19     for taxing districts; defining its powers and duties,
    20     including sales of property, the management of property taken
    21     in sequestration, and the management, sale and disposition of
    22     property heretofore sold to the county commissioners, taxing
    23     districts and trustees at tax sales; providing a method for
    24     the service of process and notices; imposing duties on taxing
    25     districts and their officers and on tax collectors, and
    26     certain expenses on counties and for their reimbursement by
    27     taxing districts; and repealing existing laws," providing for
    28     agreements for the payment of delinquent taxes on an
    29     installment basis under certain conditions.

    30     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

     1  hereby enacts as follows:
     2     Section 1.  Section 306, act of July 7, 1947 (P.L.1368,
     3  No.542), known as the "Real Estate Tax Sale Law," is amended by
     4  adding a subsection to read:
     5     Section 306.  Return of Property and Delinquent Taxes;
     6  Interest; Settlements by Tax Collectors.--
     7     * * *
     8     (c.1)  A county tax claim bureau AND LOCAL TAXING AUTHORITY    <--
     9  may enter into an agreement with the owner-occupant of a single
    10  family dwelling unit against which a local tax collector has
    11  returned delinquent real estate taxes for the payment of those
    12  taxes in installments. The agreement shall provide for the
    13  payment of all the delinquent taxes in equal annual installments
    14  over a period of not more than six (6) years. It shall be
    15  contingent upon the taxpayer's timely and full payment of the
    16  current and succeeding years' taxes. The delinquent shall not
    17  have the right to enter into such an agreement whenever he has
    18  previously defaulted on such an agreement. Nothing in this
    19  subsection shall be construed to abate or forgive any interest
    20  or penalty assessed against a delinquent taxpayer. Those charges
    21  shall be included in the sum to be repaid over the period of the
    22  agreement. Taxes being paid on an installment basis under an
    23  agreement entered into by a county tax claim bureau and a
    24  delinquent taxpayer shall be returned by the local tax collector
    25  as delinquent to the tax claim bureau. The bureau shall enter a
    26  claim on the docket for such taxes until the taxpayer has
    27  carried out the agreement. ALL DELINQUENT TAXES SHALL BE          <--
    28  RETURNED TO LOCAL TAXING AUTHORITIES AS PRESCRIBED BY THIS ACT.
    29     * * *
    30     Section 2.  This act shall take effect immediately.
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