Haverford, PA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered land
- Vacant land or lots in the vicinity of buildings
- Cleanup deadline
- Five days after notice to the owner or occupier
- Township cleanup charge
- Labor cost plus a penalty of 10%
- Unpaid charges
- Collected by action or a municipal lien
- Maximum fine
- Not exceeding $1,000 plus costs, each day separate
- Enforcing officials
- Director of Health or Director of Public Works
Summary
In Haverford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, owners of vacant land or lots in the vicinity of buildings cannot let them be covered with tall grasses or weeds. After notice, owners have five days to clear the growth, or the Township does the work and charges the cost plus a penalty of 10%.
It is hereby declared unlawful for any owner or person in possession of any vacant land or lot in the vicinity of buildings within the township to permit the same to be covered with tall grasses or weeds. ... Whenever hereafter any vacant land or lots in the vicinity of buildings in this township shall have thereon tall grasses and weeds that may, in the judgment of the Director of Health, constitute a fire hazard ... the Director of Health or the Director of Public Works ... shall notify the owner or occupiers of the land or lot in front of or upon which said tree or trees, hedges or grasses and weeds stand to remove said obstruction within five days, and if said owners or occupiers shall neglect or refuse so to do after notice as aforesaid, then said Director of Health or the Director of Public Works, as the case may be, may cause said work to be done at the cost of the property owner. The expense of the necessary labor for doing the work, together with a penalty of 10%, shall be charged against and paid by such delinquent property owner, and in default of payment, ... or by the filing of a municipal lien against the property of such owner.
Full Breakdown
Article I of Chapter 138 of the Haverford Township Code, Brush, Grass and Weeds, was adopted on October 13, 1924 as Ord. No. 232 and still governs empty parcels. Section 138-1 declares it unlawful for any owner or person in possession of any vacant land or lot in the vicinity of buildings within the Township to permit the same to be covered with tall grasses or weeds. The duty falls on the owner or the person in possession, and it attaches to land near buildings.
Section 138-5 is the enforcement path. Whenever vacant land or lots in the vicinity of buildings have tall grasses and weeds that, in the judgment of the Director of Health, constitute a fire hazard, the Director of Health or the Director of Public Works notifies the owner or occupier to remove the obstruction within five days. If the owner or occupier neglects or refuses, the Township can have the work done at the cost of the property owner. The expense of the necessary labor, together with a penalty of 10%, is charged against the delinquent owner, and in default of payment it is collected by action in the name of the Township or by the filing of a municipal lien against the property.
The notice can be served by leaving it at the owner's place of residence. If the owner has no residence in the Township, it is left with the tenant or occupant and a copy is mailed to the owner's last known address. If the premises are vacant or unoccupied, the notice is posted on the premises and a copy is mailed to the owner.
A second rule also reaches vacant ground. Section 138-21 makes it unlawful to permit weeds to grow in excess of eight inches in height on any premises, improved or vacant, or on any open lot or alley. That section is penalized by § 138-22 with a fine not exceeding $1,000 and costs and up to 30 days in the county jail on default of one payment. For a vacant lot in Haverford Township, the eight-inch figure is the only printed height, and the five-day notice under § 138-5 is the clock that starts once the Director of Health or Director of Public Works sends the notice.
Violations & Fines
Section 138-4 punishes a violation of Article I on summary conviction before a District Justice of the Peace by a fine not exceeding $1,000 and costs of prosecution, with up to 90 days in the county jail for default of one payment. Each day is a separate offense, and fines are payable to the Township Treasurer. Separately, the cost of Township cleanup plus 10% can become a municipal lien.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Haverford Township require of owners of vacant lots?
How much time does the Township give before it cuts a vacant lot?
How is the notice delivered if the owner lives elsewhere?
What happens if the owner does not pay the cleanup bill?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Haverford
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