[Ord. 2013-07, 4/1/2013, § 1]
A certain document, three copies of which are on file in the office of the Township Secretary of Lower Mount Bethel Township ("Township"), being marked and designated as the International Property Maintenance Code, 2012 edition ("Code"), as published by the International Code Council, and as may be revised from time to time, is hereby adopted as the property maintenance code of the Township, for regulating and governing the conditions and maintenance of all property, buildings and structures; providing the standards for supplied utilities and facilities and other physical things and conditions essential to ensure that structures are safe, sanitary and fit for occupation and use; and the condemnation of buildings and structures unfit for human occupancy and use, and the demolition of such existing structures are herein provided; providing for the issuance of permits and collection of fees therefore. Provisions, penalties, conditions and terms of the Code on file in the office of the Township are hereby referred to, adopted, and made a part hereof, as if fully set out in this Part, with the additions, insertions, deletions and changes, if any, prescribed in § 5-202 of this Part. If the 2012 International Property Maintenance Code, 2012 Edition, is updated, revised or if a new edition is released by the International Code Council, then the most recent edition shall be considered the edition adopted herein as the Property Maintenance Code of the Township.
[Ord. 2013-07, 4/1/2013, § 2]
1.
The Code, as adopted by the Township, is hereby revised as follows:
A.
The following shall be inserted in § 101.1 of the Code,
where applicable: "Lower Mount Bethel Township, Northampton County,
Pennsylvania."
B.
The following shall be inserted in § 103.5 of the Code,
where applicable: "The fees for activities and services performed
by the Township or the code official in carrying out its/his/her responsibilities
under this code shall be provided for by resolution of the Lower Mount
Bethel Township Board of Supervisors. The fees for appeals filed under
the code shall be provided for by duly authorized act of the Slate
Belt Council of Governments, County of Northampton, Pennsylvania ("Council
of Governments")."
C.
Section 106.3 of the Code shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced
with the following:
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"Section 106.3. Prosecution of Violation. Any person failing
to comply with a notice of violation or order served in accordance
with the code shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and the violation
shall be deemed a strict liability offense. If the notice of violation
is not complied with, the Township may institute the appropriate proceeding
or proceedings in law or in equity to restrain, correct or abate such
violation, or to require the removal or termination of the unlawful
occupancy of the structure in violation of the provisions of this
code or of the order or direction made pursuant thereto. Any action
taken by the Township to abate a code violation shall be chargeable
as a lien against the real estate upon which the structure is located.
The remedies provided herein for the enforcement of this code, or
any other remedy provided by law, shall not be deemed mutually exclusive;
rather they may be employed simultaneously or consecutively, at the
option of the Township."
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D.
Section 106.4 of the Code shall be deleted in its entirety and replaced
with the following:
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"Section 106.4. Violation Penalties. Any person who shall violate
a provision of this code, or fail to comply therewith, or with any
of the requirements thereof, shall, upon conviction thereof, be required
to pay a fine of not less than $500 and not more than $1,000 for each
such instance. Each day that a violation continues after due notice
has been served shall be deemed a separate offense. As an alternative,
or in addition to the fines set forth above, each owner of the property
whereupon the structure exists in violation of this code may be sentenced
to a term of imprisonment to the extent allowed by law for the punishment
of summary offenses for each violation of this code."
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E.
The following shall be inserted in § 302.4 of the Code,
where applicable: "6 inches."
F.
The following shall be inserted in § 304.14 of the Code,
where applicable: First insertion: "April 1st"; Second insertion:
"October 1st."
G.
The following shall be inserted in § 602.3 of the Code,
where applicable: First insertion: "September 15th"; Second insertion:
"May 15th."
H.
The following shall be inserted in § 602.4 of the Code,
where applicable: First insertion: "September 15th"; Second insertion:
"May 15th."
[Ord. 2013-07, 4/1/2013, § 3]
The Code shall be jointly administered and enforced by the Township
and the Council of Governments. General administration and enforcement
of the Code shall be conducted by the Township. Appeals related to
the Code shall be handled by the Council of Governments International
Property Maintenance Code Board of Appeals ("Board of Appeals") in
accordance with the procedures promulgated by the Council of Governments
and/or the Board of Appeals. (It is noted that the Township previously
entered into an Intermunicipal Agreement providing for joint administration
and enforcement of the Code by the Township and the Council of Governments.)
