Title 11, CITIES

(a) General rule.--For the purpose of protecting the public, a city may enact suitable ordinances regulating the business of operating for-profit parking lots and for-profit parking garages within the city. Ordinances shall be consistent with 75 Pa.C.S. (relating to vehicles). A …

A city may not levy or collect a license fee from a farmer upon sales of the farmer's own produce in or about the streets of the city. This section shall not restrict a city's power to regulate the conduct of a farmer's business.

A city may not levy or collect a license fee upon an insurance company or its agents or an insurance broker authorized to transact business under the laws of this Commonwealth.

A city may not levy or collect a license fee or mercantile tax upon a person taking orders for merchandise by sample from a dealer or merchant for persons who pay a license or mercantile tax at their primary places of business. Nothing in this section shall authorize a person to …

This chapter shall not be construed to relieve a person from the duty of taking out a license or from the payment of any license tax or fee imposed or authorized by any other statute, nor shall any Commonwealth license tax or fee preempt the registration, licensure or regulatory …

(a) Registration requirement.--For the purpose of procuring accurate information on the ownership of all real estate, council may provide, by ordinance, for a real estate registry in accordance with the act of October 9, 2008 (P.L.1400, No.110), known as the Uniform Municipal Dee…

The following words and phrases when used in this chapter shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "Abatement." The removal, stoppage or destruction by any reasonable means of the cause or constitution of a public nuisa…

(a) Designation of department.--Council shall designate the department to which reports of the existence of a possible public nuisance shall be made. (b) Criteria for investigating reports.--The department shall establish criteria for investigating reports to determine the existe…

(a) General rule.--A city shall have the power to utilize summary abatement in accordance with this section. (b) Conditions.--In the case of a reported public nuisance, the department shall have authority to utilize summary abatement if all of the following occur: (1) The departm…

(a) Abatement authority.--The department shall have the authority to abate a public nuisance with prior notice as provided by this section if, after inspecting the property or condition reported to be a public nuisance, subject to constitutional standards in a similar manner as p…

(a) Duty of owner.--Within 30 days after written notice has been provided pursuant to section 127A04(b)(1) or (2) (relating to prior notice of abatement), the owner shall remove and abate the nuisance. (b) Extension.--The department, upon written application by the owner within t…

(a) Hearing.--A city shall, by ordinance, provide a procedure by which an owner of the property who has been served with a notice pursuant to section 127A04(b)(1) or (2) (relating to prior notice of abatement) may request and have a timely hearing on the question of whether a pub…

(a) Abatement by city after notice.--If a public nuisance has not been abated at the expiration of 30 days after notice has been provided or within additional time as the department or appeals board may grant, taking into consideration the provisions of section 127A06(c) (relatin…

In abating a public nuisance, the department may call upon any of the city departments or divisions for assistance, as shall be deemed necessary, or may abate the public nuisance by private contract.

If deemed practicable by the department, the department may salvage and sell at private or public sale any material derived from an abatement of a public nuisance. Pursuant to ordinance, all of the following shall apply to the proceeds obtained from the sale of any material salva…

(a) Notice of assessment.--Upon receipt of the statement of costs from the department, either for a summary abatement pursuant to section 127A03 (relating to summary abatement) or for an abatement with notice pursuant to section 127A04 (relating to prior notice of abatement), the…

Notwithstanding the right of the city to utilize in rem proceedings to pursue collection of the costs, fees and penalties in the statement of costs as a municipal claim, the person who is the owner of the property at the time of a summary abatement at which the notice required is…

Whenever a public nuisance is abated by the city, the statement of the costs of the public nuisance shall include the city's actual cost of abatement, plus an administrative fee, not to exceed 10%, and a civil penalty. For the first abatement of a public nuisance upon any owner's…

(a) General rule.--In addition to all other purposes for which a city may exercise the power of eminent domain as authorized by this part or by other laws of this Commonwealth and subject to the duty to provide just compensation, a city may acquire property by eminent domain, inc…

(a) General rule.--In addition to the restrictions made by other provisions of this part in particular cases or by any other provision of law, no city shall exercise the right of eminent domain against: (1) Land now occupied by any building which was used during the Colonial or R…

Except as otherwise provided by law, if land or other real or personal property is acquired by a city in eminent domain proceedings or is acquired by gift, purchase or otherwise, the title obtained by the city shall be in fee simple absolute or like absolute ownership unless the …

In proceedings to assess damages and benefits, one of the following shall be awarded to or assessed against the owner of land and affected property: (1) The excess of damages over benefits. (2) The excess of benefits over damages. (3) Nothing, if the benefits and damages are equa…

(a) General rule.--Council may authorize and approve a comprehensive map of city streets, which may be part of an official map adopted in accordance with the Municipalities Planning Code. (b) Amendment to comprehensive map.--If council adopts a comprehensive map of city streets, …

(a) General rule.--A city may lay out streets by any of the following means: (1) Identifying the street on a comprehensive map of city streets. (2) Identifying the street in an amendment to the comprehensive map. (3) Identifying the street in a recorded subdivision or land develo…

With regard to land not previously used by the city as a passageway for public travel, the laying out and locating of a street in accordance with this chapter shall not in and of itself do any of the following: (1) Authorize the entry upon or the appropriation of any property. (2…

(a) General rule.--No permit shall be issued for any building within the lines of any street laid out pursuant to this chapter. (b) Damages.--No person shall recover damages for the taking for public use of any building or improvements constructed within the lines of any street a…

(a) General rule.--With regard to any street or any part of a street within city limits, a city may, with or without any petition of property owners, do any of the following: (1) Open, widen, straighten, alter, extend and improve. (2) Establish or reestablish the grades. (3) Keep…

(a) General rule.--An ordinance shall be enacted for the opening, widening, straightening, extending or vacating of any street without petition of property owners by the affirmative vote of a majority of the whole number of members of council, plus one. (b) Enactment of ordinance…

(a) General rule.--Any ordinance widening or straightening any street shall fix the new line or lines. (b) Conformation to new lines.--The ordinance may require that no owner or builder shall erect any new building or rebuild or alter the front of any building already erected wit…

(a) Presentment to council.--A petition may be presented to council for the opening, widening, straightening, altering, extending, vacating, establishing or reestablishing of the grade of any street. (b) Majority of property owners required.--A petition made pursuant to this sect…

(a) General rule.--After a petition has been presented in accordance with section 12918 (relating to petition for opening) and council has determined the adequacy of the petition, but before final enactment of any ordinance enacted pursuant to the petition, notice shall be publis…

If necessary, in any proceedings to exercise one of the powers given in section 12915 (relating to power to open and alter streets), viewers shall be appointed, damages awarded and benefits assessed as provided in 26 Pa.C.S. (relating to eminent domain) or as provided in this cha…

(a) General rule.--A city may grade, pave, macadamize or otherwise improve any street, and the sidewalks of the street when included as a part of the improvement, have them set with curbs and provide for drainage. (b) Improvement.--A city may provide for the following improvement…

(a) General rule.--The costs and expenses of the improvements done under section 12930 (relating to power to grade, pave and macadamize) shall be paid, in whole or in part, by the city or by the owners of real estate bounding and abutting the improvement. (b) Assessment.--Cost an…

(a) General rule.--Council may provide, by ordinance, for the laying, renewing and repairing of all gas, water, steam or other pipes or conduits in any street before the paving, repaving or repairing of the street and for making the necessary connections with the pipes. (b) Sewer…

(a) Power over highways.--Powers, rights and duties given to a city over its streets shall extend to highways to the extent that the city is legally responsible for them, pursuant to agreement or otherwise. (b) Damages.--A city shall not be responsible for damages to property own…

(a) Railroad crossings.--A city constructing a street across a railroad shall construct the street above or below the grade of the railroad, unless permitted by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to construct the street at grade. (b) New construction.--Any new constructio…

Any city may acquire, by purchase or by the right of eminent domain, a free and unobstructed view down and across lands located at or near intersections or curves of streets, railroads or railways to assure a free and unobstructed view in all directions at the intersections or cu…

(a) General rule.--In the grading of any street, a city may use so much of the lots and lands abutting on the street for the construction of embankments, slopes, fills and culverts as may be necessary for the completion of the improvement. (b) Compensation.--Compensation for dama…

A city may, singly or jointly with other political subdivisions, appropriate money for the improvement of streets or roads beyond the limits of a city for the purpose of connecting improved streets in a city with a highway.

(a) General rule.--The following shall apply to the closing of a street to vehicular traffic: (1) No street shall be closed to vehicular traffic, except upon order of the department of streets and public improvements or other department of the city having jurisdiction over public…

(a) General rule.--A street on the boundary line between a city and another municipal corporation shall be maintained jointly by the city and the other municipal corporation. (b) Maintenance agreement.--The officers of the city and the municipal corporation maintaining a street u…

(a) General rule.--A city may enter into a contract with a municipal corporation to provide for the grading, curbing, draining, paving and macadamizing of any street that constitutes the dividing line between the city and the municipal corporation. (b) Supervision.--The alteratio…

(a) Authority to improve entire street.--Whenever any street, more than one-half the width of which is within the limits of the city, shall divide the city from any other municipal corporation, the street may be improved by the city in the same manner as if the street were entire…

Whenever any street, entirely within the limits of any city, shall divide the city from any other municipal corporation, the property on the side of the street, within or outside the city, that abuts the street and benefits from the improvement may, for a depth of 150 feet from i…

(a) General rule.--Any city may lay out, ordain and establish sidewalks, curbs, gutters and drains along any street, and may, with or without petition, require owners of property abutting any street to construct, pave, curb, repave and recurb the sidewalks and keep the sidewalks …