Pennsylvania Act 2016-152 — RECORDER OF DEEDS FEE LAW - ADDITIONAL FEE IMPOSED AND USED FOR DEMOLITION

Act text

Session of 2016

No. 2016-152

SB 486

AN ACT

Amending the act of April 8, 1982 (P.L.310, No.87), entitled, as amended, "An act establishing fees for services of recorders of deeds in counties of the second A, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth classes and home rule charter counties of these classes," authorizing an additional fee to be imposed and used for demolition; and making an editorial change.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. The title of the act of April 8, 1982 (P.L.310, No.87), referred to as the Recorder of Deeds Fee Law, amended April 17, 2002 (P.L.244, No.32), is amended to read:

AN ACT

Establishing fees for services of recorders of deeds in counties of the second A, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth classes and home rule charter counties of these classes ; authorizing a special deed and mortgage recording fee in certain counties; and establishing county demolition funds .

Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:

Section 2.2. (a) There is hereby created a county demolition fund in each county that imposes the fee authorized under subsection (b).

(b) In addition to the fees charged by a recorder of deeds or an equivalent officer in a county, the governing body of the county may, by resolution or ordinance, authorize the recorder of deeds to charge and collect a fee not to exceed $15 for each deed and mortgage recorded. The fee shall be deposited into the county demolition fund to be used exclusively for the demolition of blighted property situate in the county.

(c) (1) A county that creates a county demolition fund in accordance with this section shall:

(i) Within 90 days of imposing the fee authorized by this section, file an initial report with the Department of Community and Economic Development. The initial report shall include a plan on how the revenue received under this section will be spent, how many properties will likely be demolished and any other information that would be relevant to the demolition program of the county.

(ii) Not less than 12 months after imposing the fee authorized by this section and annually thereafter, prepare a report on the use of the fund and submit the report to the Department of Community and Economic Development. The annual report shall include how many properties were demolished, the cost of demolition per property and any other information that would be relevant to the demolition program of the county.

(2) The Department of Community and Economic Development shall compile the initial and annual reports and post them on the department's publicly accessible Internet website.

(d) This section shall expire 10 years from its effective date.

(e) As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Blighted property." A property which meets at least three of the criteria listed under section 5(d)(5) of the act of November 26, 2008 (P.L.1672, No.135), known as the Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship Act, as determined by the governing body of a county.

"County." A county or home rule charter county of any classification.

Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

APPROVED--The 4th day of November, A.D. 2016.

TOM WOLF