A building and zoning permit shall be required prior to the erection, construction, addition or alteration of any building or portion thereof; prior to the use or change in use of a building or land; prior to the erection or alteration of signs, except as specified in Article VIII; prior to the change or extension of a nonconforming use; or prior to development in any floodplain district, except as listed below.

It shall be unlawful for any person to commence work for the erection or alteration of any building or for a change in land use until a building and zoning permit has been duly issued therefor. (In some instances, additional permits may also need to be obtained prior to beginning new construction or alterations.)

Exemptions. Building and zoning permits shall not be required for the following activities:

All applications for building and zoning permits shall be accompanied by plans, in duplicate, drawn to scale, showing the actual shape and dimensions of the lot, the exact size and location of any buildings existing on the lot, the lines within which the proposed building or structure shall be erected or altered, the existing and intended use of each building or part of a building, the number of families or dwelling units the building is designed to accommodate and such other information as may be necessary to determine compliance with this chapter and all other pertinent regulations. No application shall be considered complete until all necessary documents have been filed and all fees have been paid to the Township.

One copy of the plans will be returned to the applicant when such plans have been approved by the Zoning Officer. All applications and accompanying plans and documents shall become a matter of public record once a permit has been either issued or denied.

Work on the proposed construction shall commence within six months after the date of issuance of the building permit and shall be completed within 12 months after its issuance or the permit shall expire, unless a time extension is granted, in writing, by the Zoning Officer. Time extensions may be granted only if a written request is submitted by the applicant which sets forth sufficient and reasonable cause for the Zoning Officer to grant such a request.

For the purposes of this chapter, construction and/or development shall be considered to have started with the preparation of land, including land clearing, grading, filling, excavation for basement, footers, piers or foundations, erection of temporary forms, the installation of pilings under proposed subsurface footers or the installation of sewer, gas and water pipes or electrical or other service lines from the street.

Be served upon the property owner or sent to him by certified mail (return receipt requested).

Include the name of the owner of record and any other person against whom the Township intends to take action.

Include the location of the property in violation.

Identify the specific violation(s) with a description of the requirements which have not been met, citing in each instance the applicable provision(s) of this chapter.

Contain an outline of remedial action which, if taken, will effect compliance.

Specify the date before which the steps for compliance must be commenced and the date before which the steps must be completed.

Notify the recipient of his right to appeal to the Township Zoning Hearing Board within 30 days of receipt of written notice of the alleged violation(s).

Indicate that failure to comply with the notice within the time specified, unless extended by appeal to the Zoning Hearing Board, shall constitute a violation and will be prosecuted or remedied as provided in this section.

In case any building, structure, landscaping or land is or is proposed to be erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, converted, maintained or used in violation of this chapter, the Township Zoning Officer may institute in the name of the Township any appropriate action or proceeding to prevent, restrain, correct or abate such building, structure, landscaping or land or to prevent any action, conduct, business or use in or about such premises constituting a violation.

Any aggrieved owner or tenant of real property who shows that his property or person will be substantially affected by the alleged violation may also institute an appropriate corrective action or proceeding. Such action must be preceded, however, by serving a copy of the complaint on the Township Supervisors at least 30 days prior to being instituted. No such action may be maintained until such notice has been given.

The procedure set forth in Section 617.2 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, 53 P.S. § 10617.2, as reenacted and amended 1988, December 21, P.L. 1329, Act 170, and outlined below, shall be utilized in enforcement of the provisions of this chapter. Where amendment or revision to the Municipalities Planning Code changes the enforcement procedure, such changes shall be considered to be part of this chapter.

Any person, partnership or corporation who or which has violated or permitted the violation of the provisions of this chapter, whether enacted under current law or prior law, shall, upon being found liable therefor in a civil enforcement proceeding commenced by Scott Township, pay a judgment of not more than $500 plus all court costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees incurred by the Township as a result thereof. No judgment shall commence or be imposed, levied or be payable until the date of the determination of a violation by the Magisterial District Judge. If the defendant neither pays nor timely appeals the judgment, Scott Township may enforce the judgment pursuant to the applicable rules of civil procedure. Each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate violation, unless the Magisterial District Judge determining that there has been a violation further determines that there was a good faith basis for the person, partnership or corporation violating this chapter to have believed that there was no such violation, in which event there shall be deemed to have been only one such violation until the fifth day following the date of the determination of a violation by the Magisterial District Judge, and thereafter each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate violation. All judgments, costs and reasonable attorneys' fees collected for the violation of this chapter shall be paid over to Scott Township.

The Court of Common Pleas, upon petition, may grant an order of stay, upon cause shown, tolling the per diem fine pending a final adjudication of the violation and judgment.

Nothing contained in this section shall be construed or interpreted to grant to any person or entity other than Scott Township the right to commence any action for enforcement pursuant to this section.