2012 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes
Title 53 - MUNICIPALITIES GENERALLY
Chapter 61 - Neighborhood Blight Reclamation and Revitalization
Section 6131 - Municipal permit denial

PERMIT DENIALS BY MUNICIPALITIES

Sec.

6131.  Municipal permit denial.

§ 6131.  Municipal permit denial.

(a)  Denial.--

(1)  A municipality or a board under subsection (c) may deny issuing to an applicant a municipal permit if the applicant owns real property in any municipality for which there exists on the real property:

(i)  a final and unappealable tax, water, sewer or refuse collection delinquency on account of the actions of the owner; or

(ii)  a serious violation of State law or a code and the owner has taken no substantial steps to correct the violation within six months following notification of the violation and for which fines or other penalties or a judgment to abate or correct were imposed by a magisterial district judge or municipal court, or a judgment at law or in equity was imposed by a court of common pleas. However, no denial shall be permitted on the basis of a property for which the judgment, order or decree is subject to a stay or supersedeas by an order of a court of competent jurisdiction or automatically allowed by statute or rule of court until the stay or supersedeas is lifted by the court or a higher court or the stay or supersedeas expires as otherwise provided by law. Where a stay or supersedeas is in effect, the property owner shall so advise the municipality seeking to deny a municipal permit.

(2)  A municipality or board shall not deny a municipal permit to an applicant if the municipal permit is necessary to correct a violation of State law or a code.

(3)  The municipal permit denial shall not apply to an applicant's delinquency on taxes, water, sewer or refuse collection charges that are under appeal or otherwise contested through a court or administrative process.

(4)  In issuing a denial of a permit based on an applicant's delinquency in real property taxes or municipal charges or for failure to abate a serious violation of State law or a code on real property that the applicant owns in this Commonwealth, the municipality or board shall indicate the street address, municipal corporation and county in which the property is located and the court and docket number for each parcel cited as a basis for the denial. The denial shall also state that the applicant may request a letter of compliance from the appropriate State agency, municipality or school district, in a form specified by such entity as provided in this section.

(b)  Proof of compliance.--

(1)  All municipal permits denied in accordance with this subsection may be withheld until an applicant obtains a letter from the appropriate State agency, municipality or school district indicating the following:

(i)  the property in question has no final and unappealable tax, water, sewer or refuse delinquencies;

(ii)  the property in question is now in State law and code compliance; or

(iii)  the owner of the property has presented and the appropriate State agency or municipality has accepted a plan to begin remediation of a serious violation of State law or a code. Acceptance of the plan may be contingent on:

(A)  Beginning the remediation plan within no fewer than 30 days following acceptance of the plan or sooner, if mutually agreeable to both the property owner and the municipality.

(B)  Completing the remediation plan within no fewer than 90 days following commencement of the plan or sooner, if mutually agreeable to both the property owner and the municipality.

(2)  In the event that the appropriate State agency, municipality or school district fails to issue a letter indicating tax, water, sewer, refuse, State law or code compliance or noncompliance, as the case may be, within 45 days of the request, the property in question shall be deemed to be in compliance for the purpose of this section. The appropriate State agency, municipality or school district shall specify the form in which the request for a compliance letter shall be made.

(3)  Letters required under this section shall be verified by the appropriate municipal officials before issuing to the applicant a municipal permit.

(4)  (i)  Municipal permits may be denied by a board in accordance with the requirements of this section to the extent that approval of the municipal permit is within the jurisdiction of the board. For purposes of this section, "board" shall mean a zoning hearing board or other body granted jurisdiction to render decisions in accordance with the act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.805, No.247), known as the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, or a similar board in municipalities not subject to that act.

(ii)  In any proceeding before a board other than the governing body of the municipality, the municipality may appear to present evidence that the applicant is subject to a denial by the board in accordance with this section.

(iii)  For purposes of this subsection, a municipal permit may only be denied to an applicant other than an owner if:

(A)  the applicant is acting under the direction or with the permission of an owner; and

(B)  the owner owns real property satisfying the conditions of subsection (a).

(c)  Applicability of other law.--A denial of a permit shall be subject to the provisions of 2 Pa.C.S. Chs. 5 Subch. B (relating to practice and procedure of local agencies) and 7 Subch. B (relating to judicial review of local agency action) or the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, for denials subject to the act.

Cross References.  Section 6131 is referred to in section 6144 of this title.