[Adopted 11-11-2004 by Ord. No. 543]
The Council of the Borough of Blawnox finds that excessive storm- and/or surface waters are illegally routed into the sanitary sewer systems within the Borough, thus requiring increased and unnecessary treatment capacity and activity and thus curtailing the availability of tap-ins and treatment to other users who need sanitary sewage treatment. The Council finds that the procedures, fees and penalties provided for herein are necessary to achieve the purposes of this article.
This article may be known and cited as the "Dye Test Regulations and Certifications."
Unless the context specifically and clearly indicates otherwise, the meaning of terms used in this article shall be as follows:
BOROUGH
Borough of Blawnox, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
DOCUMENT OF CERTIFICATION
An official statement from the Borough stating that there are no illegal storm or surface water connections into the sanitary sewer connections on the property to be sold which violate any section of the Code.
ILLEGAL STORM- OR SURFACE WATER CONNECTIONS
The discharge of basement seepage or groundwater or the connection of downspouts, roof drainage or surface or areaway drainage into the sanitary sewer line.
MUNICIPAL LIEN AND PROPERTY TAX VERIFICATION
A written letter from the Borough Secretary concerning municipal liens and property taxes.
PERSON
Any person, syndicate, association, partnership, firm, corporation, institution, agency, authority or other entity recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties.
TEMPORARY DOCUMENT OF CERTIFICATION
A temporary statement of certification from the Borough issued pursuant to the terms of § 440-26 of this article.
After the effective date of this article, it shall be unlawful for any person to sell or purchase real estate within the Borough on which a building or improvement exists without first delivering to the purchaser a document of certification or a temporary document of certification from the Borough.
A. 
Any person selling real estate located as defined in § 440-22 of this article that is located within the Borough (hereinafter referred to as "applicant") shall make application on a form furnished by the Borough at least 21 days before the date of closing the sale. The applicant shall then cause to have performed a dye test on the property to be sold. All dye tests shall be performed by an inspector appointed by the Borough of Blawnox (hereinafter referred to as "inspector").
B. 
The inspection fee shall be in an amount set by resolution of the Council of the Borough of Blawnox. The inspection fee shall be paid to the Borough at the time of making the application referred to in this section.
C. 
Such inspector shall complete the appropriate portions on the form and certify that the property has been dye tested and certify the results of such test. In the event there are no illegal storm- or surface water connections, the Borough Secretary or her designate shall issue a document of certification upon payment of such fee as set by resolution of the Borough. When an illegal storm- or surface water connection is discovered by means of the above-mentioned dye test, no document of certification will be issued until the illegal connections are removed and certification of such removal by an inspector is received. An additional inspection fee shall be paid by the applicant for each inspection subsequent to the first inspection referred to in Subsection A.
A document of certification shall be valid for a period of one year from the date of issuance. Real estate may be sold during the one-year effective life of such document without further dye testing or certification.
A document of certification shall not be required in the following instances:
A. 
When property is refinanced but no conveyance takes place.
B. 
When an improvement to real estate has been recently constructed in accordance with a valid building permit and has been inspected by the Building Inspector and has not been formerly occupied. If such property is sold after one year of the date of the certificate of occupancy, or the inspections referred to in this subsection, compliance with this article is mandatory.
C. 
Individual apartment-type units within a single condominium building may be sold without individual certification, provided that the building in which the units are located has been certified no longer than one year previous to the date of the sale of the individual condominium unit.
D. 
When the real estate is such that tap-in to the sanitary sewer system is not required by law or ordinance.
A temporary document of certification may be issued at the Borough's sole discretion when, either:
A. 
The applicant proves that dye testing cannot be performed because of weather conditions. When such is the case, the applicant shall provide the Borough with security in such amount as the Council of the Borough of Blawnox by resolution shall establish to guarantee that the dye test will be performed. The applicant will cause to have the dye rest performed within 14 days of written notification from the Borough which will be given at such time as weather conditions make the dye test possible. In addition, the applicant shall provide a signed, written acknowledgment from the purchaser agreeing to correct, at purchaser's sole cost and expense, any violations that may be discovered as a result of subsequent dye tests. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit any purchaser from requiring the applicant to reimburse purchaser for any costs incurred; provided, however, that primary liability shall run with the land and no such agreement shall affect the Borough's enforcement powers or excuse the current owner from compliance with this Code; or
B. 
When an illegal storm- or surface water connection is discovered and the necessary remedial activities to correct such connection would require a length of time such as to create a practical hardship for the applicant, applicant may apply to the Borough Secretary for a temporary document of certification which may only be issued when the applicant provides the Borough with all of the following: i) A bona fide, executed contract between the applicant and an inspector to complete the necessary remedial work within the Borough listed therein as a third-party beneficiary; and ii) cash security in the amount of said contract is posted with the Borough; and iii) a written agreement by the purchaser to be responsible for all cost over-runs and extras related to the remedial work, together with a written license to enter upon the property to complete work in case of default of the contractor referred to above. The Borough Secretary shall determine when such temporary document certification shall expire. Upon expiration, the security shall be forfeited and the Borough may use the security to have the necessary remedial work completed.
A. 
A request for a municipal lien or tax certification letter must be accompanied by a valid document of certification and payment of the required fees, which shall be delivered to the Borough Secretary at least seven days before such letters are to be provided. The amount of the fee for each item shall be established by resolution of the Council of the Borough of Blawnox.
B. 
Where requested by a property owner or his agent and subject to time availability as determined by the Borough, the Borough may issue municipal lien and tax certification letters on two days' notice upon the payment of an expedition fee in addition to the fees set forth above. The amount of the expedition fee shall be established by resolution of the Council of the Borough of Blawnox.
The Borough Secretary is hereby empowered to undertake the duties imposed by this article, including, but not limited to:
A. 
Establishing acceptable forms of security or guarantees.
B. 
Establishing the form of:
(1) 
Applications;
(2) 
Purchaser acknowledgment; and
(3) 
Inspector certifications.
The Council of the Borough of Blawnox may, by resolution, change from time to time the fees authorized in this article.
Nothing in this article shall limit in any fashion whatsoever the Borough's right to enforce its ordinances or the laws of the commonwealth. Nothing in this article shall be a defense to any citation issued by any municipal corporation or the commonwealth pursuant to any other law or ordinance.
If any sentence, clause, section, or part of this article is for any reason found to be unconstitutional, illegal or invalid, such unconstitutionality, illegality or invalidity shall not affect or impair any of the remaining provisions, sentences, clauses, section or parts of this article. It is hereby declared as the intent of the Council of the Borough of Blawnox that this article would have been adopted had such unconstitutional, illegal or invalid sentence, clause, section or part thereof not been included herein.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances which are inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed.
A. 
Any person who violates or permits a violation of this article shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding 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 court costs and reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the Borough in the enforcement proceedings. Upon judgment against any person by summary conviction, or by proceedings by summons on default of the payment of the fine or penalty imposed and the costs, the defendant may be sentenced and committed to the county correctional facility for a period not exceeding 30 days. Each day that such violation exists shall constitute a separate offense, and each section of this article that is violated shall also constitute a separate offense. In addition to or in lieu of enforcement under this section, the Borough may enforce this article in equity in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
B. 
Whenever any person violating any of the provisions of this article is notified of such violation, in writing, by the Borough Secretary, each day or portion thereof a violation occurs or continues to occur shall constitute a separate violation.
C. 
In addition to and not in lieu of the foregoing, the Borough may seek equitable and legal relief to compel compliance with this article.
This article shall become effective immediately on or after its enactment and adoption.