Township of West Bradford, PA Chapter 315 Property Maintenance

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of West Bradford 1-2-2007 by Ord. No. 2007-01; amended in its entirety 5-19-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-04. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 315-1 Adoption of standards.

A certain document, three copies of which are on file in the office of the Township Secretary of the Board of Supervisors of the Township of West Bradford, being marked and designated as the International Property Maintenance Code, 2021 Edition, as published by the International Code Council, is hereby adopted as the Property Maintenance Code of the Township of West Bradford in the State of Pennsylvania, for the control of buildings and structures as herein provided; and each and all of the regulations, provisions, penalties, conditions and terms of the said International Property Maintenance Code are hereby referred to, adopted and made part hereof, as if fully set out in this chapter, with the additions, insertions, deletions and changes, if any, prescribed in § 315-2 of this chapter.

§ 315-2 Additions, insertions, deletions and changes.

A. Section 101.1 "Title," second line, insert: "Township of West Bradford."

B. Section 104 "Fees." Change to read:

104. Fees. Permit fees shall be as set forth by resolution as adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of West Bradford.

C. Section 108 "Board of Appeals" shall be deleted and replaced with the following:

"The Township designates the Western Chester County UCC Regional Board of Appeals as the Board of Appeals for the Township who shall hear appeals from decisions of the Code Enforcement Officer which are filed pursuant to the Code and also appeals from the Township's Building Code. Such an appeal shall be filed within 20 days after the decision, notice or order was served. The appeal form, and all documents related to same, are readily available at Township offices, and may also be posted on the Township's website."

D. Section 109.4 "Violation Penalties." Change to read:

109.4 Violation Penalties. Any person who violates or permits a violation of this code shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding brought before a Magisterial District Judge under the Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure, be guilty of a summary offense and shall be punishable by a fine of not 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 90 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.

E. Section 302.4 "Weeds." Insert the following number in inches on line three: "10 inches."

F. Section 302.4 "Weeds." Add the following exemptions:

Exception: Agricultural land, park land, environmentally sensitive lands and lands subject to a management plan that precludes cutting on a routine basis shall be exempt from routine cutting.

G. Section 302.8 "Motor vehicles." Change to read:

302.8 Motor vehicles. Automotive vehicles or trailers of any kind or type without current license plate and/or current inspection stickers shall not be parked or stored on any residential property other than in completely enclosed buildings designed and approved for such purposes. No vehicle shall at any time be in a state of major disassembly, disrepair or in the process of being stripped or dismantled other than in completely enclosed buildings designed and approved for such purposes.

H. Section 304.14 Insert: "April 1" and "October 1."

I. Section 602.3 Insert: "September 1" and "May 1."

J. Section 602.4 Insert: "September 1" and "October 1."

§ 315-3 Construal of provisions.

Nothing in this chapter or in the Property Maintenance Code hereby adopted shall be construed to affect any suit or proceeding impending in court, or any rights acquired, or liability incurred, or any cause or causes of action acquired or existing under any act or ordinance hereby repealed as cited in this chapter, nor shall any just or legal right or remedy of any character be lost, impaired or affected by this chapter.

§ 315-4 Conflicts with existing state regulations.

Wherever any provisions or requirements or the regulations of the Department of Labor and Industry of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is more stringent than a provision or requirement of this chapter, the applicable provision or requirement of the said Department of Labor and Industry shall supersede any such provision or requirement of this chapter.

§ 315-5 Fee schedule.

All fees shall be determined by the Board of Supervisors, and a schedule of such shall be made available to the public. The Board of Supervisors shall be empowered to reevaluate the fee schedule and make any necessary alterations to it. Such alterations shall not be considered an amendment to this chapter and may be adopted at any public meeting of the Board of Supervisors by resolution.