Disclaimer: The ordinances listed on this website are for the convenience of residents or other interested persons.  If there is any discrepancy in the information between this website and the original ordinances on file at the Township office, the original ordinances in the Township office take precedence.

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Ordinance #35

AN ORDINANCE OF HARFORD TOWNSHIP, SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PA. ESTABLISHING FEES FOR RETURN CHECK CHARGES, ESTABLISHING SERVICE CHARGE FEES FOR TAX COLLECTOR CERTIFIED MAILINGS, ESTABLISHING SERVICE CHARGE FEES FOR TAX COLLECTOR CERTIFICATIONS AS TO THE PAYMENT STATUS OF REAL ESTATE, PERCAPITA, and/or OCCUPATION TAXES FOR TOWNSHIP LANDS AND PERSONS.

WHEREAS, Harford Township, either through the Township office or the Township’s elected Tax Collector, often receives payment of monies due by way of check;

WHEREAS, on occasion, those checks are drawn on closed accounts, accounts with insufficient funds, or otherwise in such a fashion that the checks are returned and not honored by the payer/bank;

WHEREAS, such activity results in a bank debit being assessed against Harford Township bank accounts and/or the Harford Township Tax Collector’s bank account;

WHEREAS, under the provisions of the Local Tax Enabling Act at 53 P.S./6920.1, the Harford Township Tax Collector is required to send certified mail/restricted delivery 15 day notices of personal tax delinquency to Township taxable who are in fact delinquent in payment of personal taxes;

WHEREAS, Harford Township desires to establish a reasonable service charge fee payable to the Township Tax Collector for preparing such 15-day notices under the aforesaid Act;

WHEREAS, Harford Township also desires that its Tax Collector recoup actual certified mail/restricted delivery mailing fees advanced by the Tax Collector in connection with the mailing the 15 day notices required under the aforesaid Act;

WHEREAS, the Harford Township Tax Collector also is required on occasion to certify in writing the payment status of Township real estate, per capita, occupation taxes levied upon the owners of Township lands and/or residents;

WHEREAS, Harford Township desires to establish a reasonable service charge fee payable to the Township Tax Collector for the preparation of such real estate tax certifications;

AND WHEREAS, Harford Township, by and through its duly elected Board of Supervisors, deems the fees or charges hereinafter mentioned to be fair and reasonable and necessary for the ongoing proper management, care and control of the Township and its Finances;

NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to the provisions of the Second Class Township Coded at 53 P.S. 66601 and 66505, the Board of Supervisors of Harford Township at the regular meeting duly advertised and conducted on the 11th day of November 2006, does herby establish and ordain as follows:

SECTION I: RETURN CHECK FEES

1. CHECKS PAYABLE TO THE TAX COLLECTOR OF HARFORD TOWNSHIP
   
   
   1. Harford Township hereby imposes a fee of $25.00 per check returned by a payee bank and due to said bank’s failure to honor and pay to Harford Township Tax Collector the amount of such check. The fee detailed herein shall be assessed against the person, firm, or person, firm or corporation issuing such check and as a result of the Payee bank’s failure to pay the same.
      
   
   
   2. The $25.00 fee detailed in subparagraph 1, above, shall be set from time to time, by Resolution in the event the Township determines a need to alter the fee as initially established.
      
   
   
   3. The fee for dishonored check payable hereunder shall be paid to the Harford Township Tax Collector directly.

SECTION II. –SERVICE CHARGE PAYABLE TO TOWNSHIP TAX COLLECTOR FOR PREPARATION OF 15 DAY NOTICE

1. Harford Township hereby imposes a service fee of $5.00 to be assessed by and payable directly to the Harford Township Tax Collector for the Tax Collector’s preparation of any 15 day written notice of taxpayer delinquency, such notice required under the Local Tax Enabling Act at 53 P.S./6920.1.
   


2. By further determination of this Township, the fee detailed in paragraph A, above, shall be set from time to time, by resolution, in the event the Township determines a need to alter the fee as initially established.

SECTION III: TOWNSHIP TAX COLLECTOR TO RECOUP CERTIFIED MAIL/RESTRICTED DELIVERY MAILING FEES ADVANCED FOR FORWARDING 15 DAY NOTICES UNDER THE LOCAL TAX ENABLING ACT.

1. Consistent with the Local Tax Enabling Act at 53 P.S./6920.1, the Township Tax Collector shall recoup actual certified mail/restricted delivery fees advanced in forwarding any 15 day written notice to taxpayer delinquency required under the Local Tax Enabling Act, and such mailing fees may be added by the Tax Collector to the delinquent amount otherwise due and recited in the taxpayer’s 15 day notice.
   

SECTION IV: SERVICE CHARGE FOR TAX COLLECTOR WRITTEN AND/OR ORAL TAX CERTIFICATION OF TAXES PAYMENT STATUS FOR PROPERTY AND PERSONS SITUATED WITHIN HARFORD TOWNSHIP.

1. Harford Township hereby imposes a service fee of (up to) $15.00 per certification to be assessed to each person, firm, or corporation requesting a tax certification or duplicate billing for mortgage company from the Township Tax Collector verifying the payment status of real estate taxes levied upon the owners of Township realty.
   


2. The service fee mentioned in paragraph A., above shall be payable directly to the Harford Township Tax Collector.
   


3. The service fee mentioned in paragraph A., above, shall be set from time to time, by Resolution, in the event the Township determines a need to alter the fee as initially established.

SECTION V: SEVERABILITY

The provisions of this ordinance shall be severable, and if any provisions hereunder shall be declared unconstitutional, illegal, or invalid, then such declaration shall not affect the validity of any of the remaining provisions of this Ordinance. It is hereby declared as the intent of the Harford Township that this Ordinance would have been enacted as if any such unconstitutional, herein, illegal, or invalid provision(s) had not been included.

SECTION VI: REPLEALER

All ordinances and parts of ordinances inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed.

SECTION VII: EFFECTIVE DATE

This ordinance shall become effective five (5) days after its adoption.

ENACTED AND ORDAINED as an Ordinance of the Township of Harford this 11th day of November, 2006.

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Harford is a rural township in Susquehanna County, located in the heart of northeast Pennsylvania's Endless Mountains.

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