PRINTER'S NO. 2054
No. 1652 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY BELARDI, CAWLEY AND STABACK, JUNE 11, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON URBAN AFFAIRS, JUNE 11, 1997
AN ACT 1 Providing for restrictions on purchases of real property in 2 cities of the second class A. 3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 4 hereby enacts as follows: 5 Section 1. Restrictions on purchases. 6 (a) General rule.--Deeds for any real property exposed for 7 any sale in a city of the second class A shall not be exchanged 8 any sooner than 15 days nor later than 30 days after any sale. 9 (b) Petition.--A city of the second class A may, within 15 10 days of any sale of real estate, petition the court of common 11 pleas to prohibit the transfer of any deed for any property 12 exposed for any sale which is located in that city to any 13 purchaser who is proven to meet any of the criteria set forth in 14 the city's petition. 15 (c) Criteria.--The petition of the city of the second class 16 A shall, at a minimum, allege that the purchaser has over the 17 last five years exhibited a course of conduct which demonstrates
1 that the purchaser: 2 (1) permits uncorrected housing code violations to 3 continue unabated after being convicted of those violations; 4 (2) fails to maintain the property owned by that 5 purchaser in a reasonable manner; 6 (3) permits the use of property in an unsafe or 7 unsanitary manner; or 8 (4) acts or has acted as an agent for a purchaser who 9 seeks to avoid the limitations placed on the purchase of 10 property by this act. 11 Allegations under this subsection shall be proved by a 12 preponderance of the evidence. 13 (d) Local agent.--Any purchaser who is not a resident of the 14 city shall designate an agent that has a residence or place of 15 business within the city to receive complaints on the 16 purchaser's behalf. 17 (e) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following 18 words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this 19 subsection: 20 "Purchaser." Any individual, partner, shareholder, trust, 21 partnership, limited partnership, corporation or any other 22 business association, or any trust, partnership, limited 23 partnership, corporation or any other business association that 24 has any individual as part of the business association who had 25 any ownership interest or rights in the property. A change of 26 name or business status shall not defeat the purpose of this 27 section. 28 "Uncorrected housing code violations." Any conviction of a 29 violation of the housing code of a city of the second class A 30 which is not remedied within six months of conviction. 19970H1652B2054 - 2 -
1 Section 2. Application. 2 This act shall apply to all sales conducted on or after 3 January 1, 1998. 4 Section 3. Effective date. 5 This act shall take effect in 30 days. L12L53JS/19970H1652B2054 - 3 -