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                                                      PRINTER'S NO. 1148

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 966 Session of 1997


        INTRODUCED BY FICHTER, DENT, M. N. WRIGHT, ITKIN, STABACK,
           BELARDI, ARGALL, HERSHEY, CAWLEY, STERN, STURLA, CARONE,
           RAYMOND, GEIST, MASLAND, SERAFINI, GLADECK, VAN HORNE,
           BROWNE, L. I. COHEN, HENNESSEY, YOUNGBLOOD, RUBLEY, RAMOS,
           STETLER, McGEEHAN, STEELMAN, CIVERA, McNAUGHTON, PETRONE AND
           ROSS, MARCH 25, 1997

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON URBAN AFFAIRS, MARCH 25, 1997

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending the act of February 1, 1966 (1965 P.L.1656, No.581),
     2     entitled "An act concerning boroughs, and revising, amending
     3     and consolidating the law relating to boroughs," further
     4     providing for collection of fines and penalties; and
     5     providing for collection of penalties for violations of
     6     certain ordinances.

     7     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     8  hereby enacts as follows:
     9     Section 1.  Section 3301 of the act of February 1, 1966 (1965
    10  P.L.1656, No.581), known as The Borough Code, amended October 9,
    11  1967 (P.L.399, No.181) and repealed in part April 28, 1978
    12  (P.L.202, No.53), is amended to read:
    13     Section 3301.  Prosecution of Ordinance Violators;
    14  Disposition of Fines, Penalties and Costs.--Any violation or
    15  failure to comply with any provision of any borough ordinance
    16  shall constitute a summary offense and prosecution for every
    17  such offense shall be according to the practice in the case of
    18  summary convictions, except as provided in section 3308.1(c).

     1     Section 2.  Section 3308 of the act, amended March 2, 1988
     2  (P.L.103, No.18), is amended to read:
     3     Section 3308.  Collection of Penalties.--No fine or penalty
     4  shall exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) for [a violation of a
     5  building, housing, property maintenance, health, fire or public
     6  safety code or ordinance and for] water, air and noise pollution
     7  violations, and shall not exceed six hundred dollars ($600) for
     8  a violation of any other borough ordinance, except as provided
     9  in section 3308.1.
    10     Section 3.  The act is amended by adding a section to read:
    11     Section 3308.1.  Collection of Penalties for Violations of
    12  Building, Housing, Property Maintenance, Health, Fire, or Public
    13  Safety Ordinances.--(a)  No fine or penalty shall exceed one
    14  thousand dollars ($1000) for a violation of a building, housing,
    15  property maintenance, health, fire, or public safety ordinance,
    16  except as provided in subsection (c).
    17     (b)  After thirty days from the initial charge, each day that
    18  the violation continues shall constitute a separate violation.
    19  If the violation remains unabated after ninety days from the
    20  initial charge, the owner of the real property in violation may
    21  surrender title to the borough in lieu of payment of the accrued
    22  penalties.
    23     (c)  Any person charged for a violation who fails, without
    24  just cause, to begin abatement of the violation within ninety
    25  days of the initial charge shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of
    26  the third degree and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay
    27  a fine not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500)
    28  and to undergo a sentence of not more than one year.
    29     Section 4.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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