[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Bradford 11-25-2014 by Ord. No.
3255. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Property maintenance — See Ch. 163.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Alternative
Dispute Resolution Ordinance of The City of Bradford, McKean County,
Pennsylvania."
The purpose of this chapter is to provide for a mechanism by
means of issuance of tickets rather than citation to permit a citizen
who believes he may have been in violation to pay the ticket rather
than cause the issuance of a citation and a costly and protracted
legal hearing before a Judge and unnecessary appeals. The resolution
in this manner is beneficial from a two-fold perspective in that it
permits the City to maintain and enforce its laws and permits a citizen
so accused to resolve the dispute in a manner that does not unduly
burden the resident by requiring the issuance of a citation and a
court hearing. It also does not deprive the citizen of the right to
dispute the ticket and receive the full benefit of procedural and
substantive due process of law.
A.
The provisions of any article so enumerated may be enforced by police
officers, code enforcement officers, or any public officer sworn to
uphold and enforce the law of the municipality.
B.
The City Council may, from time to time, change, increase or decrease
those sections to be covered under this alternative dispute resolution
ordinance by resolution passed at a regular bimonthly City Council
meeting from time to time; however, at the time of the adoption of
this chapter, the City's Property Maintenance Code[1] is hereby deemed and ordained to be under the jurisdiction
of this process, except any fees which will be examined and amended
on an annual basis.
[Amended 4-28-2015 by Ord. No. 3225.1]
C.
Any violation of the provisions of any article as enumerated in this
chapter may be cause for a notice of violation, violation ticket,
or citation to be issued to the violator.
[Amended 4-28-2015 by Ord. No. 3225.1]
A.
The notice of violation shall be in writing and shall identify the
property address, include a clear and concise statement of the violation(s),
specify the maximum time frame to take corrective action to bring
the property into compliance with the City's Property Maintenance
Code[1] and any other laws of the City of Bradford and commonwealth
and detail the fine for nonpayment of the ticket within the prescribed
time frame.
B.
The Code Enforcement Official shall serve the notice of violation
to the violator by one of the following methods:
(1)
By handing the notice of violation to the violator.
(2)
By handing the notice of violation to be served to an adult member
of the household or other person in charge of the residence at the
residence of the person to be served.
(3)
By leaving or affixing the notice or violation ticket to the property
where the violation exists.
(4)
By handing the notice of violation to the violator's agent or to
the person in charge thereof at any office of usual place of business
of the violator.
(5)
By mailing the notice to the violator's address of record first class
mail with a certificate of mailing.
C.
If the violation is not addressed to the satisfaction of the Code Enforcement Officer within the allotted number of days from the issuance of the notice of violation, the Code Enforcement Official shall issue a violation ticket to the violator consistent with the service of process described in § 212-4B above. The violation ticket shall be in writing and shall identify the property address, include a clear and concise statement of the violation(s), specify the maximum time frame to take corrective action to bring the property into compliance with the City's Property Maintenance Code[2] and other state and local codes and detail the fine for
the nonpayment of the ticket within the prescribed time frame.
A person in receipt of a violation ticket shall have 10 days
within which time to pay the amount stated on the ticket. In the event
the ticket is not paid within 10 days, such failure to pay shall result
in the issuance of a criminal citation for the offense with the local
District Justice.
[Amended 4-25-2023 by Ord. No. 3255.2]
A.
For the first offense of the violation of this article within a twelve-month
period, the tickets shall be issued in the amount of $70.
B.
For the second offense of the violation of this article within a
twelve-month period, the tickets shall be issued in the amount of
$100.
C.
For the third offense of the violation of this article within a twelve-month
period, the tickets shall be issued in the amount of $200.
D.
For the fourth offense and all subsequent offenses of the violation
of this article within a twelve-month period, the ticket shall be
issued in the amount of $600.
In addition to imposing a fine and costs and or imprisonment
as enumerated under the section allegedly violated the magisterial
district court judge may order the violator upon conviction to make
restitution to any aggrieved person.
