PRINTER'S NO. 140

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 126 Session of 1985


        INTRODUCED BY STUBAN, FRYER AND SHOWERS, JANUARY 30, 1985

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, JANUARY 30, 1985

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of February 1, 1966 (1965 P.L.1656, No.581),
     2     entitled "An act concerning boroughs, and revising, amending
     3     and consolidating the law relating to boroughs," further
     4     providing for the sale of land to a volunteer fire company,
     5     volunteer ambulance service or volunteer rescue squad located
     6     within the borough.

     7     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     8  hereby enacts as follows:
     9     Section 1.  Section 1201(4) of the act of February 1, 1966
    10  (1965 P.L.1656, No.581), known as The Borough Code, amended
    11  December 21, 1984 (P.L.   , No.239), is amended to read:
    12     Section 1201.  General Powers.--A borough may:
    13     * * *
    14     (4)  Purchase, acquire by gift, or otherwise, hold, lease,
    15  let and convey, by sale or lease, such real and personal
    16  property as shall be deemed to be to the best interest of the
    17  borough: Provided, That no real estate owned by the borough
    18  shall be sold for a consideration in excess of fifteen hundred
    19  dollars ($1500), except to the highest bidder after due notice


     1  by advertisement for bids in one newspaper of general
     2  circulation in the borough. Such advertisement shall be
     3  published once not less than ten days prior to the date fixed
     4  for the opening of bids, and such date for opening bids shall be
     5  announced in such advertisement. The acceptance of bids shall be
     6  made only by public announcement at a regular or special meeting
     7  of council. All bids shall be accepted on the condition that
     8  payment of the purchase price in full shall be made within sixty
     9  days of the acceptance of bids. Real estate owned by a borough
    10  may be sold at a consideration of fifteen hundred dollars
    11  ($1500) or less without advertisement or competitive bidding
    12  only after council estimates the value thereof upon receipt of
    13  an appraisal by a qualified real estate appraiser.
    14     Except as otherwise hereinafter provided in the case of
    15  personal property of an estimated sale value of less than two
    16  hundred dollars ($200), no borough personal property shall be
    17  disposed of, by sale or otherwise, except upon approval of
    18  council, by ordinance or resolution. In cases where council
    19  shall approve a sale of such property, it shall estimate the
    20  sale value of the entire lot to be disposed of. If council shall
    21  estimate the sale value to be two hundred dollars ($200) or
    22  more, the entire lot shall be advertised for sale once, in at
    23  least one newspaper of general circulation in the borough, not
    24  less than ten days prior to the date fixed for the opening of
    25  bids or public auction, and such date of opening of bids or
    26  public auction, shall be announced in such advertisement, and
    27  sale of the property so advertised shall be made to the best
    28  responsible bidder. Council shall have authority, by resolution,
    29  to adopt a procedure for the sale of surplus personal property
    30  of an estimated sale value of less than two hundred dollars
    19850H0126B0140                  - 2 -

     1  ($200) and the approval of council shall not be required for any
     2  individual sale that shall be made in conformity to such
     3  procedure.
     4     The provisions of this clause shall not be mandatory where
     5  borough property is to be traded in or exchanged for new borough
     6  property.
     7     The provisions of this clause requiring advertising for bids
     8  and sale to the highest bidder shall not apply where borough
     9  real or personal property is to be sold to a county, city,
    10  borough, town, township, institution district, school district,
    11  a volunteer fire company, volunteer ambulance service or
    12  volunteer rescue squad located within the borough, or municipal
    13  authority pursuant to the Municipality Authorities Act of 1945,
    14  is to be sold to a non-profit corporation engaged in community
    15  industrial development or where real property is to be sold to a
    16  person for his exclusive use in an industrial development
    17  program or where real property is to be sold to a non-profit
    18  corporation organized as a public library for its exclusive use
    19  as a library, or where real property is to be sold to a non-
    20  profit medical service corporation as authorized by clause (76)
    21  of section 1202 or where real property is to be sold to a non-
    22  profit housing corporation as authorized by clause (77) of
    23  section 1202 or where real property is to be sold to the
    24  Commonwealth or to the Federal Government. When real property is
    25  to be sold to a non-profit corporation organized as a public
    26  library for its exclusive use as a library or to a non-profit
    27  medical service corporation or to a non-profit housing
    28  corporation, council may elect to accept such nominal
    29  consideration for such sale as it shall deem appropriate. Real
    30  property sold pursuant to this clause to a volunteer fire
    19850H0126B0140                  - 3 -

     1  company, volunteer ambulance service or volunteer rescue squad,
     2  non-profit medical service corporation or to a non-profit
     3  housing corporation shall be subject to the condition that when
     4  the property is not used for the purposes of the company,
     5  service, squad or the corporation the property shall revert to
     6  the borough.
     7     * * *
     8     Section 2.  This act shall take effect immediately.















    A8L08DGS/19850H0126B0140         - 4 -