PRINTER'S NO. 1030
No. 944 Session of 1979
INTRODUCED BY RYAN AND RAPPAPORT, MARCH 28, 1979
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, MARCH 28, 1979
AN ACT
1 Authorizing a county, by ordinance of its board of county
2 commissioners, or in a county of the first class by city
3 council upon written recommendation of its recorder of deeds
4 or commissioner of records, to require the recording of its
5 county tax maps with the recorder of deeds or commissioner of
6 records; to provide for the recording of additions, deletions
7 and other revisions of such recorded county tax maps; and to
8 assign a uniform parcel identifier for each parcel on the
9 county tax maps to be recorded in order to facilitate
10 conveyancing and tax assessment and to establish a modern
11 land records system.
12 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
13 hereby enacts as follows:
14 Section 1. Short title.
15 This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Uniform
16 Parcel Identifier Law."
17 Section 2. Definitions.
18 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
19 have, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the
20 meanings given to them in this section:
21 "Coordinate system." The system of coordinates for
22 designating the position of points on the surface of the earth
23 within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as set forth in the act
1 of June 2, 1937 (P.L.1208, No.310), entitled "An act to
2 describe, define, and officially adopt a system of coordinates
3 for designating the positions of points on the surface of the
4 earth within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."
5 "County tax map." A map describing real estate in a county
6 maintained as required by the act of June 27, 1939 (P.L.1199,
7 No.404), relating to tax assessment procedures in counties of
8 the first class, the act of June 21, 1939 (P.L.626, No.294),
9 referred to as the Second Class County Assessment Law, the act
10 of June 26, 1931 (P.L.1379, No.348), referred to as the Third
11 Class County Assessment Board Law, the act of May 21, 1943
12 (P.L.571, No.254), known as "The Fourth to Eighth Class County
13 Assessment Law," the act of May 22, 1933 (P.L.853, No.155),
14 known as "The General County Assessment Law," or any other
15 similar statute.
16 "Municipality." Any city of the first, second, second class
17 A or third class, borough, incorporated town, township of the
18 first or second class, or any similar general purpose unit of
19 government which shall hereafter be created by the General
20 Assembly. The term "municipality" under this act shall include
21 those general purpose units of government smaller than a county
22 which exercise self-government under a home rule charter or
23 optional plan.
24 "Uniform parcel identifier." A finite, punctuated sequence
25 of numbers indicating the land parcel or other interest in real
26 estate as shown on the recorded county tax map, which sequence
27 may be the existing county tax parcel number.
28 (1) In the case of a "unit" within the meaning of the
29 act of July 3, 1963 (P.L.196, No.117), known as the "Unit
30 Property Act," a designator for the number of the "unit" as
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1 indicated on the recorded "declaration plan" shall be
2 included in the sequence of numbers forming the uniform
3 parcel identifier for such "unit."
4 (2) In the case of an interest in real estate less than
5 fee simple, an additional designator shall be included in the
6 sequence of numbers forming the uniform parcel identifier for
7 such interest in order to distinguish such interest from the
8 fee simple parcel of which such interest is a part.
9 Section 3. Ordinance requiring the recording of county maps
10 with the uniform parcel identifiers indicated.
11 A county may by ordinance of its board of county
12 commissioners or in a county of the first class by city council,
13 upon written recommendation of its recorder of deeds or
14 commissioner of records, require the recording of its county tax
15 maps, with uniform parcel identifiers indicated on such maps, in
16 the office of the recorder of deeds or commissioner of records
17 in the manner provided in this act.
18 Section 4. Assigning uniform parcel identifiers.
19 (a) Requirements for recording.--Prior to recording a county
20 tax map under this act, the county tax assessor or other
21 official, elected or appointed, having custody of the county tax
22 map shall indicate on the map the uniform parcel identifier for
23 each parcel shown on such map.
24 (b) Assignment of uniform parcel identifier.--At the request
25 of an owner subdividing or amalgamating or otherwise affecting
26 for future transfer, mortgage, release or other purpose any
27 parcel or parcels shown on a recorded county tax map, the county
28 tax assessor or other official, elected or appointed, having
29 custody of the county tax map shall assign a uniform parcel
30 identifier to each parcel included in the proposed transfer,
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1 mortgage, release or other purpose. The owner shall provide the
2 officials with a precise survey showing a metes and bounds
3 description of each parcel to be transferred, mortgaged,
4 released or otherwise affected or with a subdivision plan
5 prepared by a registered surveyor or engineer which shall show
6 on its face such metes and bounds. This assignment of uniform
7 parcel identifiers shall take place within one day of the
8 presentation of the request for such assignment when accompanied
9 by the survey or such subdivision plan.
10 Section 5. Recording procedures.
11 (a) Generally.--The provisions of this section shall govern
12 all recordings of county tax maps pursuant to a resolution
13 adopted under section 3.
14 (b) Initial recording.--Immediately upon the adoption of an
15 ordinance under section 3, or at such later time provided in
16 such ordinance, the appropriate tax assessor or other official,
17 elected or appointed, having custody of the county tax maps
18 shall record them with the recorder of deeds or commissioner of
19 records of said county.
20 (c) Recording in stages by municipality.--The initial
21 recording of county tax maps shall be accomplished by recording
22 successively all the county tax maps relating to a municipality
23 at one time. It is intended at the initial recording no county
24 tax map for a municipality be placed on record until all the
25 county tax maps relating to a municipality are so recorded.
26 (d) Additions, revisions and changes to county tax maps.--
27 Changes in municipal or county boundaries, resulting from
28 annexation or otherwise, subdivisions, resubdivisions and
29 additions shall be indicated on the county tax maps otherwise
30 provided by law and such revised or new county tax maps or that
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1 part thereof which is revised or new shall be recorded within
2 ten days of their revision or addition, or in lieu thereof the
3 revised or new subdivision plan with the uniform parcel
4 identifiers affixed shall be recorded.
5 (e) Recording certified copies of county tax maps.--A copy
6 of any county tax map certified by any official having custody
7 thereof may be recorded in lieu of an original map.
8 Section 6. Fees.
9 The recorder of deeds or commissioner of records of each
10 county adopting the provisions of this act shall receive from
11 the county its customary fee otherwise allowed by law for each
12 county tax map so recorded.
13 Section 7. Home rule charter and optional plan counties.
14 A county exercising self-government under a home rule charter
15 or optional plan that adopts an ordinance under section 3 shall
16 be subject to the provisions of this act in the same manner as
17 any other county so electing.
18 Section 8. Regulations.
19 The Secretary of the Department of Community Affairs shall
20 promulgate and adopt regulations with respect to uniform parcel
21 identification systems using the coordinate system or any other
22 system to assign values to the approximate center of the land
23 parcel or other interest in real estate shown on the recorded
24 tax map. These regulations shall contain tax mapping standards
25 and guidelines for determining such uniform parcel identifiers.
26 All other systems shall be administered in accordance with
27 regulations prescribed by the board of county commissioners or
28 in counties of the first class by city council adopting the
29 system.
30 Section 9. Effective date.
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1 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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