Click here for previous descriptions and discussions of Harrisburg's proposed Ordinances 13 and 14. [These Ordinances would impose vicarious liability on landlords for the actions of their tenants, impose a residency requirement on property management and ownership and modify the inspection program.]
Last evening, the Harrisburg City Council voted 4-3 to table both proposed Ordinances after a fair amount of discussion.
Numerous investors (and others) spoke out against the proposed ordinances at the beginning of the meeting. Investor and Realtor organizations such as CARPOA, GHAR and AACP participated in the public comment section of the meeting. We listed pending litigation in Allegheny County and Columbia County relating to similar legislation as bases for the Council to withold action at this time, especially since City officials have previously stated that these measures would constitute a source of revenue for the city (which is illegal under state law).
Council members stated that they wanted to explore the issues further and rework the Ordinances. Council invited investors and others to participate in committee meetings during the new year.
It is my hope that in these committee meetings we can address some of the more basic issues keeping city properties from being improved - such as the large volume of properties that suffer from title defects due to having been sold at tax sale at some point in the past.
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City council's appeal to landlords for solutions to neglected properties should be made more accessible by posting public hearings in convenient venues with advance notice. The problem properties should be targeted by code enforcement instead of making everyone pay for inspections.
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