The Code Enforcement Process
The Code Enforcement Officer (CEO) responds to any complaints received by visiting the property to assess the violation. If there is a violation, and it is a first time offense, the CEO will write a courtesy letter and send it to the property owner with a set amount of time to fix the violation. The courtesy letter is truly out of courtesy, habitual offenders will not receive letters after the first offense. If the violation is not addressed in a timely fashion or if the property owner is a habitual offender, the CEO will send a notice of violation giving the owner a set amount of time to fix the issue.
What Happens If I Receive a Notice of Violation?
If you are issued a Notice of Violation, please make sure to read through the violation in its entirety. If you have questions regarding the notice you should contact the Borough Office at 412-828-4141. The Borough recommends that you contact the CEO with your plan of action to correct the violation or to request an time extension if you feel you may need it.
All Violation Notices should have the following information:
- Property owner name and address
- The location of the violation
- Date the violation was issued
- The code or ordinance that is in violation, this will include the section number and the text of the code
- Notes about the violation, what the problem is and how it needs to be fixed
- The abatement date - the time provided for the violation to be abated
- Statement of the right to file an appeal
- Name and signature of the Code Enforcement Officer
Right to Appeal
Any person directly affected by a decision of the Code Enforcement Officer or a notice or order issued shall have the right to appeal to the boar of appeals, provided that a written application for appeal is filed within 20 days after the day the decision, notice or order was served. An application for appeal shall be based on a claim that the true intent of the code or the rules legally adopted thereunder have been incorrectly interpreted, the provisions of the code do not fully apply, or the requirements of the code are adequately satisfied by other means.
Failure to Comply
If the property owner fails to comply with the Notice of Violation, he or she will be issued a non-traffic citation and requested to appear at the Magisterial District Court. The property owner can abate the violation prior to their hearing before the district judge and let the Code Enforcement Officer know that it has been done. If the owner does not abate prior to their hearing, he or she will be expected to appear at the Magistrate. The non-traffic citations carry a fine that can range from between $300 - $1000. If the CEO finds several violations at a property and they are not abated in the set time frame, citations will be written for each of the violations. Each day a violation is not abated constitutes a separate violation and a citation can be issued every day that violation exists.