Last week House Bill 1437 passed to the Senate Urban Action Committee for consideration. House Bill 1437 proposes to amend Pennsylvania Municipal Code and Ordinance Act, 68P.S.§1081, to:
(1) provide a more detailed definition of “unfit for habitation”
(2) define and differentiate between “substantial violation” from less severe “violations”
(3) place restrictions and requirements on municipalities to issue a certificate of occupancy based on any “substantial violations” or “violations”
(4) create and define new categories of temporary use and occupancy permits and temporary access certificates allowing sales to go forward, but requiring work to be corrected before new owner occupies the property.
House Bill 1437 is an important piece of legislation to many Realtors and their clients who have faced difficulties obtaining temporary use and occupancy certificates until minor repairs are performed – such as replacing old house numbers of fixing cracked sidewalks – based on municipality claims that the homes are “unfit for habitation.”
A full copy of House Bill 1437 is available here: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sIn…
– William J. Weber, Jr., Esq., Monica M. Reynolds, Esq.
Counsel to Suburban West Realtors Association (SWRA)