Harrisburg, PA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Nuisance finding
- Codes Administrator's opinion, public nuisance per se
- Appeal of emergency order
- In writing within three days after service
- Added cost penalty
- 10% of the City's expense
- Structural trigger
- 33% damage to supporting members or 50% to walls
- Vacant building rule
- Unguarded or open at a door or window is unsafe
- Extension period
- Written extensions beyond the thirty-day period
Summary
In the City of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, any existing building or structure that the Codes Administrator finds dangerous, unsafe, or unfit for human occupancy is a public nuisance per se under § 8-301.5. If the owner ignores the notice, the City can do the work and enter the cost, plus a 10% penalty, as a lien against the property.
§ 8-301.5. Public nuisances. Any existing building or structure which, in the opinion of the Codes Administrator, is dangerous, unsafe, or unfit for human occupancy in accordance with these Codified Ordinances shall be deemed a public nuisance per se.
Full Breakdown
Section 8-301.5 gives the Codes Administrator the call. A building or structure that, in the Administrator's opinion, is dangerous, unsafe, or unfit for human occupancy under the Codified Ordinances is a public nuisance per se, so no separate nuisance finding is needed.
The meaning of unsafe comes from amended section 115.2 of the Building Code in § 8-101.3. It lists ten kinds of building, including those whose walls or vertical members lean or buckle so that a plumb line through the center of gravity falls outside the middle third of the base; those showing 33% or more damage or deterioration of the supporting members, or 50% of the nonsupporting, enclosing or outside walls or covering; those damaged by fire, wind or other causes; those with inadequate egress; and vacant buildings left unguarded or open at a door or window, which are deemed a fire hazard, an attractive nuisance and unsafe.
Notice is served personally, by certified or registered mail, or by posting on the structure and mailing. Under section 115.6, if the person served does not remove or repair the building within the time in the notice, the City can have the order carried out by a private contractor or otherwise. The cost can be entered as a lien against the premises, and the City can also collect it from the person served in an action of assumpsit with a penalty of 10% of the cost. The City Solicitor can go to a court of equity to compel compliance. The Codes Administrator can grant written extensions when an act of God or circumstances beyond the person's control stop completion within the thirty-day period.
When the danger is immediate, § 8-301.1 lets the Codes Administrator issue a written emergency order without prior notice. Appeals must be filed in writing within three days after service, with the Building and Housing Code Board of Appeals for building or property maintenance issues. If no timely appeal is filed and the order is not obeyed, § 8-301.6 lets the City enter the premises without the owner's permission, as long as entry will not cause a breach of the peace.
Violations & Fines
Under § 8-301.9, expenses the City incurs to eliminate an emergency, plus a penalty of 10% of the expense, can be collected from the responsible party in an action in assumpsit, and from an owner as a municipal claim against the property. Under § 8-301.7, notice gives 10 days to pay before suit or a claim. Building Code violations carry the § 8-101.99 fine of $50 to $1,000 plus costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides that a building is a public nuisance in Harrisburg?
Does leaving a vacant building open make it unsafe in Harrisburg?
How long does an owner have to appeal an emergency order?
What does the City of Harrisburg charge when it abates a dangerous building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Harrisburg
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