[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Mount Oliver as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Rental property — See Ch. 183.
Realty transfer tax — See Ch. 223, Art. IV.
[Adopted 6-17-1996 by Ord. No. 811]
From and after the effective date of this article, it shall be unlawful for any owner of any real property situate in the Borough of Mount Oliver to sell or otherwise convey such real property without first having complied with the provisions of the Borough Lien Clearance Information Sheet, a copy of which is attached hereto and made a part of this article.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: The Real Estate Conveyance Lien Letter Information Sheet is on file in the Borough offices.
Each owner of real property situate in the Borough of Mount Oliver who fails to comply with the provisions of § 178-1 of this article shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding, be liable for a fine not to exceed $1,000.
[Adopted 2-18-2019 by Ord. No. 979]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BOROUGH
The Borough of Mount Oliver.
DATE OF TRANSFER
The date on which title and right to possess the property is transferred pursuant to a sale or transfer, or, in cases where the property is sold pursuant to the Municipal Claims and Tax Liens Law, 53 P.S. § 7101 et seq., the first day following the right of redemption period authorized under the Municipal Claims and Tax Liens Law.
PERSON
Any natural person, association, partnership, corporation, syndicate, institution, agency, authority, or other entity recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties.
SALE or TRANSFER
The sale, transfer or assignment of any interest in improved, residential real property, except for transactions solely between spouses and the refinancing of real property without a conveyance.
SUBSTANTIAL VIOLATION
A violation of any building, housing, property maintenance or fire code or maintenance, health or safety nuisance ordinance of the Borough that makes a building, structure or any part thereof unfit for human habitation and is discovered during the course of a Borough inspection of a property and disclosed to the record owner or prospective purchaser of the property through issuance of a municipal report or other documentation used by the Borough to notify the record owner or prospective purchaser of ordinance violations.
TEMPORARY ACCESS PERMIT
A permit issued by the Borough as a result of the Borough inspection of a property incident to the resale of the property that identifies at least one substantial violation, and the purpose of the permit is to authorize the purchaser to access the property for the purpose of correcting substantial violations pursuant to this article.
TEMPORARY USE AND OCCUPANCY PERMIT
A permit issued by the Borough as the result of a Borough inspection of a property incident to the resale of the property that reveals a violation but no substantial violation, and the purpose of the permit is to authorize the purchaser to fully utilize or reside in the property while correcting violations pursuant to this article.
UNFIT FOR HUMAN HABITATION
A condition which renders a building, structure, or any part thereof dangerous or injurious to the health, safety or physical welfare of an occupant or the occupants of neighboring dwellings. The condition may include substantial violations of a property that show evidence of: a significant increase to the hazards of fire or accident; inadequate sanitary facilities; vermin infestation; or a condition of disrepair, dilapidation or structural defects such that the cost of rehabilitation and repair would exceed 1/2 of the agreed-upon purchase price of the property.
USE AND OCCUPANCY PERMIT
A permit issued by the Borough stipulating that the property meets all ordinances and codes of the Borough and may be used or occupied as intended.
VIOLATION
A violation of a building, housing, property maintenance or fire code or maintenance, health or safety nuisance ordinance of the Borough that does not rise to the level of a substantial violation and is discovered during the course of a Borough inspection of a property and disclosed to the record owner or prospective purchaser of the property through the issuance of a municipal report or other documentation used by the Borough to notify the record owner or prospective purchaser of ordinance violations.
At least 15 days prior to the date of transfer of any improved, residential real property located within the Borough, the seller or transferor or its agent shall submit to the Borough Code Enforcement Officer an application for a use and occupancy permit, on such form to be provided by the Borough. The fee for filing the completed application for a use and occupancy permit shall be established by the Council of the Borough of Mount Oliver from time to time by resolution.
A. 
Upon application for a use and occupancy permit, as required in § 178-4 above, the property shall be inspected by the Borough Code Enforcement Officer or Building Inspector for compliance with the Borough's Building Code, Fire Prevention Code and Property Maintenance Code. The Borough Code Enforcement Officer or Building Inspector shall provide written notice to the seller or transferor or its agent, or the property owner if the sale or transfer has occurred, of any violations or substantial violations.
B. 
An inspection shall not be required if, within three months of the date of application for a use and occupancy permit, the Borough Code Enforcement Officer or Building Inspector had inspected the property for compliance with the Borough's Building Code, Fire Prevention Code and Property Maintenance Code and found no violations or substantial violations.
A. 
If the inspection required pursuant to § 178-5 above reveals no violations or substantial violations, the Borough Code Enforcement Officer or Building Inspector shall issue a use and occupancy permit for the property.
B. 
If the inspection required pursuant to § 178-5 above reveals at least one violation, but no substantial violations, the Borough Code Enforcement Officer or Building Inspector shall issue a temporary use and occupancy permit for the property.
C. 
If the inspection required pursuant to § 178-5 above reveals at least one substantial violation, the Borough Code Enforcement Officer or Building Inspector shall issue a temporary access certificate for the property.
D. 
No person may occupy a property during the term of a temporary access permit, but the owner of the property shall be permitted to store personalty that is related to the proposed use or occupancy of the property or is needed to repair the substantial violations during the time of the temporary access permit.
E. 
A temporary use and occupancy permit and temporary access certificate shall expire 12 months from the date of the issuance of such permit, or 12 months from the date of transfer of the property, whichever period is longer, unless the Borough has extended the time period for such permit pursuant to § 178-7B below.
A. 
Within 12 months of the date of the issuance of a temporary use and occupancy permit or temporary access certificate, or within 12 months of the date of transfer, whichever period is longer, the owner of the property shall either:
(1) 
Correct all violations or substantial violations identified by the Borough Code Enforcement Officer or Building Inspector, so that the property is in compliance with the Borough's Building Code, Fire Prevention Code and Property Maintenance Code.
(2) 
Demolish the building or structure on the property, in accordance with applicable law.
B. 
At the request of the owner of the property, the Borough may, at its sole discretion, extend the time period for maintenance and repair of the building or structure located on the property and for which a temporary use and occupancy permit or temporary access certificate has been issued.
C. 
At the expiration of the time period set forth in Subsection A or B above, or earlier if requested by the property owner, the Borough Code Enforcement Officer or Building Inspector shall reinspect the property for the purpose of determining whether the violations or substantial violations identified by the Borough Code Enforcement Officer or Building Inspector have been corrected.
(1) 
If a temporary access permit has been issued and the reinspection indicates that the cited substantial violations have been corrected, but other cited violations have not yet been corrected, the Borough shall issue a temporary use and occupancy permit to be valid for the time remaining on the original temporary access permit, if any.
(2) 
If the reinspection indicates that all cited substantial violations and/or violations have been corrected, the Borough shall issue a use and occupancy permit for the property.
A. 
If the property owner fails to comply with § 178-7A above, the Borough may revoke the temporary use and occupancy permit or temporary access permit.
B. 
A property owner who violates § 178-7A shall be personally liable for the costs of maintenance, repairs or demolition incurred by the Borough sufficient to correct the cited substantial violations and/or violations, and the Borough may file an action in assumpsit to recover such costs.
C. 
A property owner who violates § 178-7A shall, upon conviction in a summary proceeding, shall be fined no less than $1,000 and not more than $10,000.
D. 
Any person who fails to submit an application for a use and occupancy permit as required in § 178-4 above, or occupies a property subject to this article without a use and occupancy permit shall, upon conviction thereof, shall be sentenced to pay a fine of not more than $1,000 plus costs. Each day that a violation continues shall be considered a separate violation.
E. 
Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to preclude the Borough from seeking other relief or from availing itself of any remedy that may be at law or in equity to prevent continuing violations of this article.
A. 
Any person aggrieved by the denial, issuance or revocation of a use and occupancy permit, temporary use and occupancy permit or temporary access permit may appeal by submitting a request for a Local Agency Law[1] hearing to the Borough Secretary within 30 days after the date of the decision appealed from. Such application shall state the grounds for the appeal and shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable appeal fee of $50, the amount of such fee to be subject to adjustment by resolution of the Mount Oliver Borough Council.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 2 Pa.C.S.A. § 551 et seq.
B. 
The appellant shall be responsible for the cost of the stenographic appearance fee and any cost of advertising the hearing. The Borough Council may act as the Local Agency Law appeal hearing body or may appoint a tribunal or hearing officer to hear the appeal and either to decide the appeal or make a recommending ruling to the Borough Council.