[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of
Lawrence 7-15-1987 by Ord. No. 114. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Property maintenance — See Ch. 90.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Lawrence Township
Dangerous Structures Ordinance."
Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following words and phrases shall
be construed throughout this chapter to have the meanings herein indicated:
The Board of Supervisors of Lawrence Township.
Includes buildings, walls and signs which are structurally unsafe,
unstable, or unsanitary; inadequately provided with exit facilities; constitute
a fire hazard; otherwise dangerous or unsafe property; unsuitable or improper
for the use or occupancy to which they are put; constitute a hazard to health
or safety because of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, obsolescence, decay,
deterioration or abandonment; or a nuisance having parts which are so attached
that they may fall and injure members of the public, or public or private
property; and those buildings, walls or structures existing in violation of
any provisions of any other ordinances of the Township of Lawrence.
Includes any partnership, association, firm, and corporation.
Lawrence Township, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.
It shall be unlawful hereafter to maintain any nuisance or dangerous
structure on public or private grounds within the Township of Lawrence.
Whenever it shall come to the attention of any Township official or
police officer that any structure, completed or in the process of construction,
or any portion thereof, is in a dangerous condition, such person having knowledge
thereof shall report the same to the Board of Supervisors and the Board shall
immediately cause an investigation and examination to be made of such structure.
If such investigation or examination indicates such structure to be dangerous
in any respect, a written report of such investigation shall be submitted
to the Board, specifying the exact condition of such structure, setting forth
in what respect the structure is to be considered dangerous, and whether such
structure is capable of being properly repaired or whether it should be removed
as a dangerous structure.
If the Board, from said report, shall determine that a nuisance is being
maintained, or that a structure is in a dangerous condition, the Board shall
forthwith cause a written notice to be served upon the owner of such structure.
Such notice shall require the owner of such structure to commence the repair
or removal of such building within 10 days of such notice and to complete
such repair or removal within 30 days thereof; provided that, in any case
where the notice prescribes the repair of any structure, the owner thereof
shall have the option to remove such structure in lieu of making the repairs
thereto, within the above time limit.
The notice required by § 44-5 of this chapter shall be served personally upon the owner of a structure if the owner resides in the Township or personally upon his agent if such agent resides within the Township. If personal service as required herein cannot be obtained, such notice shall be sent to the owner of such structure by registered mail, at the last known address thereof.
If the owner of any dangerous structure, to whom or to which a notice
to repair or remove such structure shall be sent under the provisions of this
chapter, fails to commence or to complete such repair or removal within the
time limit prescribed by such notice, he shall, upon conviction in a summary
proceeding brought before a District Justice under the Pennsylvania Rules
of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be punishable
by a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $1,000, plus costs of prosecution.
In default of payment thereof, the defendant may be sentenced to imprisonment
for a term not exceeding 30 days. Each day or portion thereof that such violation
continues or is permitted to continue shall constitute a separate offense,
and each section of this chapter that is violated shall also constitute a
separate offense.
If the owner of any dangerous structure, to whom or to which notice to repair or to remove such structure shall be sent under the provisions of this chapter, fails to commence or to complete such repair or removal within the time limit prescribed by such notice, the Board shall be empowered to cause such work of repair or removal to be commenced and/or completed by the Township, and the cost and expense thereof, with a penalty of 10% of the total cost of removal or repair, shall be collected from the owner of such structure in the manner provided by law; provided that the recovery of such cost and expense, together with penalty, may be in addition to the penalty imposed as provided in § 44-7 of this chapter.
In addition to the remedies provided herein, any continued violations
of this chapter which shall constitute a nuisance in fact or which shall in
the opinion of the Board constitute a nuisance may be abated by proceeding
against the violator in a court of equity for relief.
