[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council
of Horsham Township at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I). Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Taxation — See Ch. 204.
This chapter is enacted to provide for the uniform
and equitable distribution of the tax levies in Horsham Township and
upon the inhabitants thereof and to promote the health, safety, morals
and general welfare of the inhabitants of Horsham Township.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated unless a different meaning clearly
appears from the context:
A parcel of real estate, with or without improvements located
thereon, utilized by any person or persons for any commercial activity
or purpose, including but not limited to retail, wholesale, service,
institutional or industrial.
One or more rooms used for living and sleeping purposes arranged
for occupancy by one family or by one or more persons.
A lessor, or person who acts as agent for the lessor, of
any parcel of real estate located in Horsham Township, or a lessor,
or person who acts as agent for the lessor, of any improvements on
real estate or any building located in Horsham Township.
Any individual, partnership, association, firm, limited liability
company or corporation.
A person who has the use, either by himself or with others,
of a dwelling unit or a business unit owned by a person other than
himself for a period exceeding 30 days.
A.
Within 30 days from the effective date of this chapter
and by January 31 of each year thereafter, each landlord shall submit
to the Horsham Township Director of Finance and the Hatboro-Horsham
School District Business Manager a report form supplied by the Horsham
Township Director of Finance which includes the following information:
(1)
List of the dwelling units and business units owned
by the landlord, located within Horsham Township limits, whether occupied
or not occupied;
(2)
Address of each dwelling unit and business unit;
(3)
Brief description of each dwelling unit or business
unit;
(4)
Whether or not said dwelling unit or business unit
is inhabited or utilized by tenants;
(5)
Names of the tenant or tenants utilizing the aforementioned
dwelling unit or business unit, if any.
B.
The annual reporting requirement shall be independent
of all other reporting requirements of this chapter.
After the effective date of this chapter, any person who becomes a landlord of any parcel of real estate or any improvement on real estate or building located in Horsham Township by agreement of sale, by deed, or by any other means, shall, within 30 days thereafter, report to the Horsham Township Director of Finance and the Hatboro-Horsham School District Business Manager the information and data set forth in § 208-3 above, and on forms to be provided by the Horsham Township Director of Finance.
After the effective date of this chapter, each
and every landlord of property within Horsham Township shall report
to the Horsham Township Director of Finance and the Hatboro-Horsham
School District Business Manager, on a report form to be supplied
by the Horsham Township Director of Finance, any change in the use
or occupancy of any dwelling unit or business unit owned by such landlord.
The reported change shall include the name or names of new tenants
of such dwelling unit or business unit, the date when such change
was effected, and the forwarding address of the old tenant or tenants
if known. A landlord of a hotel, inn or boardinghouse shall not be
required to report a person as a "tenant" until that person has resided
in such landlord's establishment for a period exceeding 30 days. In
the event that a dwelling unit or business unit was used or utilized
by a tenant and then becomes vacant, this change shall also be reported
to the Horsham Township Director of Finance and the Hatboro-Horsham
School District Business Manager. All reports required by this section
shall be made within 10 days after a landlord has knowledge that such
a unit has had a change in occupancy, or has become vacant.
The Horsham Township Director of Finance, under
the authority of this chapter, shall:
A.
Maintain on file at the Horsham Township office the
names of the landlords owning dwelling units and business units in
Horsham Township, said list to include the names of the current tenants
of said dwelling units and business units;
C.
Notify the Chief of Police and the Fire Chief of Horsham
Township of the address and description of any dwelling unit or business
unit that is vacant, unoccupied and not in use.
Any person who shall violate any provision of
this chapter shall, upon conviction before a District Justice, be
subject to a penalty of not less than $200 nor more than $500, plus
costs of prosecution, and, in default of payment of such fine and
costs, to imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, or both such fine and
imprisonment. Each day that a violation continues may be regarded
as a separate offense and punishable as such.
