PRINTER'S NO. 663
No. 631 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY SALVATORE AND ULIANA, MARCH 6, 1997
REFERRED TO URBAN AFFAIRS AND HOUSING, MARCH 6, 1997
AN ACT 1 Amending the act of May 16, 1923 (P.L.207, No.153), entitled "An 2 act providing when, how, upon what property, and to what 3 extent, liens shall be allowed for taxes and for municipal 4 improvements, for the removal of nuisances, and for water 5 rents or rates, sewer rates, and lighting rates; for the 6 procedure upon claims filed therefor; the methods for 7 preserving such liens and enforcing payment of such claims; 8 the effect of judicial sales of the properties liened; the 9 distribution of the proceeds of such sales, and the 10 redemption of the property therefrom; for the lien and 11 collection of certain taxes heretofore assessed, and of 12 claims for municipal improvements made and nuisances removed, 13 within six months before the passage of this act; and for the 14 procedure on tax and municipal claims filed under other and 15 prior acts of Assembly," further providing for sale of 16 property in cities of the first class. 17 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 18 hereby enacts as follows: 19 Section 1. Section 31.2(b) of the act of May 16, 1923 20 (P.L.207, No.153), referred to as the Municipal Claim and Tax 21 Lien Law, amended December 14, 1992 (P.L.859, No.135), is 22 amended and the section is amended by adding subsections to 23 read: 24 Section 31.2. * * *
1 (b) The deed to the purchaser shall be executed, 2 acknowledged and delivered as in other real estate sales by the 3 sheriff. Deeds for property exposed for any sale under this act 4 shall not be executed, acknowledged and delivered any sooner 5 than fifteen days nor later than thirty days after any sale held 6 under this act. Any person interested may at any time prior to 7 the proposed sale pay all the costs of the proceedings, 8 including the cost for the title search or title insurance 9 policy, and all tax and municipal claims, penalties and interest 10 thereon, charged against the property whereupon the proceedings 11 on petition shall at once determine. 12 (b.1) A city of the first class may, within fifteen days of 13 any sale held under this act, petition the court of common pleas 14 to prohibit the transfer of any deed for any property exposed 15 for any sale under this act which is located in that city to any 16 purchaser who is proven to meet any of the criteria set forth in 17 subsection (b.2). 18 (b.2) The petition of a city of the first class shall, at a 19 minimum, allege that the purchaser has over the five years 20 preceding the filing of the petition exhibited a course of 21 conduct which: 22 (1) permits uncorrected housing code violations to continue 23 unabated after being convicted of those violations; 24 (2) fails to maintain property owned by the purchaser in a 25 reasonable manner; 26 (3) permits the use of property in an unsafe, illegal or 27 unsanitary manner; or 28 (4) acts or has acted as an agent for a purchaser who seeks 29 to avoid the limitations placed on the purchase of property by 30 this act. 19970S0631B0663 - 2 -
1 Allegations under this subsection shall be proved by a 2 preponderance of the evidence. 3 (b.3) A change of name or business status by the purchaser 4 shall not affect the operation of this section. 5 (b.4) As used in this section: 6 "Purchaser" shall mean any individual, partner, shareholder, 7 trust, partnership, limited partnership, corporation, or any 8 other business association, or any trust, partnership, limited 9 partnership, corporation or any other business association that 10 has any individual as part of the business association who had 11 any ownership interest or rights in the property. 12 "Uncorrected housing code violations" shall mean any 13 conviction of a violation of the local housing code which is not 14 remedied within six months of conviction. 15 * * * 16 Section 2. This act shall apply to all sales conducted on or 17 after the effective date of this act. 18 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days. B4L53DMS/19970S0631B0663 - 3 -