Filing of. for the use of the persons entitled, a bond for the surplus money that may remain after satisfying and Surplus bond. paying all the taxes and costs, as aforesaid, with warrant of attorney to confess judgment annexed thereto; and it shall be the duty of said treasurer to forthwith file said bond in the office of the prothonotary of the proper county, at the number and term where said report and return is filed; and the surplus bond, filed as aforesaid, from the time of the date of the deed for property thus sold, shall bind as effectually, and in like manner as judgments, the land by said treasurer sold, into whose hands or possession soever they may come; and the owners of said lands at the time of sale, their heirs or assigns, or other legal representatives, may, at any time within five years after such sale, cause judgment to be entered in said court upon said Judgment on bond, in the name of said treasurer, for the use of said bond. owners, their heirs, assigns or legal representatives (as the case may be), and in case the moneys mentioned in said bonds, with legal interest thereon from the time it is demanded, be not paid within three months after such entry, execution may forthwith issue for Execution. the recovery thereof. Section 7. When the purchaser has paid the amount of his bid, or such portion thereof as he is required to pay under this act, and has given the surplus bond as above required, it shall be the duty of the city treasurer to make the said purchaser or purchasers his or their heirs or assigns, a deed in fee simple for the lands sold, as aforesaid, and the said deed or deeds to duly acknowledge in the court of common pleas; and such acknowledgement shall be duly entered and recorded by the prothonotary of said court in the treasurer's deed book, and for such service and the entry of the report of said treasurer said prothonotary shall receive the sum of one dollar and fifty cents. Deed. demption moneys. Section 8. Where the owner or other person interested in the land thus sold shall redeem the same, it shall be the duty of the city treasurer to acknowledge the receipt of the redemption moneys, upon the margin Receipt of reof the acknowledgement of the treasurer's deed, as the same is entered and recorded in the prothonotary's office, as aforesaid, and thereafter said deed shall be void and of no effect; and thereupon such owner or persons interested, as aforesaid, shall be entitled to have the treasurer's deed delivered up to him, her or them, by the purchaser, for cancellation. And it shall be the duty of the said treasurer to pay to said purchaser all the moneys he had paid at the time of sale, together with the twenty-five per centum penalty thereon; and it shall also be the duty of said treasurer to enter upon the book of sales kept by him, as hereinbefore provided, an acknowledgment or receipt showing that the owner or party interested redeemed the Cancellation of deed, Duties of treas urer. same therein, giving date of redemption and amount of money received. Section 9. All general laws so far as the same are in conflict here with are hereby repealed, but this act shall not apply to the sale of lands for taxes where the same is regulated by local laws. Approved-The 30th day of March, A. D. 1903. Tonement-houses. Cities of the second class. "Tenementhouse" defined. "Apartment" defined. Open space or area. When erected on a corner. No. 87. A SUPPLEMENT To an act, entitled "An act regulating the construction, maintenance, alteration and inspection of buildings and party walls in cities of the second class," approved the seventh day of June, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and ninety-five; regulating the construction, alteration and ventilation of tenement-houses, and providing for the safety of the inhabitants thereof; and providing penalties for the violation of the same. Section 1. Be it enacted, &c., That no tenement-house shall hereafter be erected, altered or constructed in any city of the second class, unless such erection, alteration or construction shall be in conformity with the provisions of this act. Section 2. Certain words used in this act shall be defined, for the purposes thereof, as follows: "Tenement-house" is any house or building, or portion thereof, which is intended or designed to be occupied or leased for occupation, or actually occupied, as a home or residence for three or more families, living in separate apartments, and doing their cooking upon the premises. "Apartment" is a room or suite of two or more rooms, occupied or leased for occupation, or intended or designed to be occupied, as a family domicile. Section 3. Every tenement-house hereafter erected, altered or constructed, in any city of the second class, shall have attached to it, in the rear or at the side, an open space, equal in area to at least twenty per centum of the entire area of the lot upon which said tenementhouse is erected, which open space shall be unobstructed by any overhanging structure, except fire-escapes required by law; unless, however, such tenement-house shall be erected upon a corner of two streets neither of which is less than twenty feet in width, in which case said tenement-house shall have an open space attached to it, in the rear or at the side next the adjoining lot, equal in area to at least ten per centum of the entire area of the lot upon which said tenement-house Such When bounded on three sides by is erected, which open space shall be unobstructed by Dimensions of built for the purpose of furnishing light or air to any Light or air such tenement-house shall open upon one side into shafts and courts. a street or into the yard or open space, except such shafts as may be necessary for the ventilation of water-closets or bath-rooms. Section 4. Every room, in every such tenement house, shall have at least one window, opening upon Windows. habitable rooms. Section 5. Every habitable room, in every such tenement-house, shall be of such dimensions as to contain at least seven hundred cubic feet of air. Every habi- Dimensions of table room, in every such tenement house, shall be in every part not less than eight feet in height, from floor to ceiling: Provided, That an attic-room need be eight Proviso. feet in but one-half its area; and every window shall have an opening of not less than one-tenth of the floor area of the room, but the bureau of building inspection may permit windows of less size, if more than one window is provided for a room, so that, however, the total Basement-rooms. Ceilings, Grade. Windows. Water-closet. Damp-and waterproofing. Stairways. Fire-escapes. Construction of stairways and hallways. Connection with public sewer. window space for any one room shall not be less than one-tenth the floor area of the room. Section 6. Every tenement-house basement-room, hereafter constructed, for living purposes, and every basement-room in already existing buildings, which shall be converted into a living-room, shall have the ceiling at least eight feet six inches in every part from the floor, and shall be at least one-half its height above the level of the street or ground outside of or adjoining the same; where the grade of the street or ground adjacent to a tenement-house varies, the mean, or average, grade shall be taken to conform to the provisions of this act. Such room shall have a window or windows, opening upon the street or upon a yard or court. The total area of the windows in such room shall be at least one-eighth of the floor area of the room, and one-half of the sash shall be made to open the full width, and the top of each window shall be within six inches of the ceiling. There shall be appurtenant to every such room or apartment a water-closet, conforming in design, materials and construction to the building and health regulations of cities of the second class. Section 7. Every new tenement-house shall have all walls, below the ground level, and all cellar or lower floors, made damp-proof and water-proof. Such dampproofing and water-proofing shall run through the walls, and up the same as high as the ground level, and shall be continued throughout the floor; and the said cellar or lowest floor shall be properly constructed, so as to prevent water and dampness from entering. Section 8. All stairways in such tenement-houses shall lead directly to the ground floor. The location and construction of all stairways shall be determined by the superintendent of the bureau of building inspection, so as to provide for the safety of the occupants of such tenement-houses. Section 9. All tenement-houses shall be provided with a suitable number of outside fire-escapes, in conformity with the requirements and regulations relative to fire escapes already in force in this Commonwealth. Section 10. All stairways shall have a rise of not over eight inches to a step, and not less than nine inches tread, exclusive of the nosing. All stairways and all hallways must be not less than three feet in width, in houses containing less than fifteen rooms; not less than three feet six inches in width, in houses containing not less than fifteen rooms and not more than twenty-five rooms; and not less than four feet in width, in houses containing twenty-five or more rooms. Section 11. In every such tenement-house, whenever a connection with a public sewer is in any way possible (and of this possibility the bureau of health of said cities shall be the sole judge), there shall be one water closet for every tenement or suite of rooms, Water-closets. which has its own independent hallway, so separated that its rooms do not open into or connect with any other rooms; and in tenement houses so constructed that a tenement may consist of a single room or of two rooms, there shall be at least one water-closet for every three rooms: Provided, That in the case of build- Proviso. ings existing at the date of this act, which shall hereafter be altered or converted into tenement-houses, there shall be one water-closet for every six rooms, but not less than one for each floor. Every watercloset shall be separated from every other watercloset, and shall have an entrance entirely independent of the entrance to every other water-closet. Every such water-closet shall be properly ventilated, in conformity with the regulations and requirements already in force in said cities of the second class. But when necessary (and of this necessity the bureau of health of said cities shall be the sole judge), such water closets may be located in the yard. Wherever located, the said water-closets shall conform in design, materials and construction to the building and health regulations of said cities. water main. Section 12. In all tenement-houses hereafter erected, wherever a connection with the city water main is in Connection with any way possible (and of this possibility the bureau of health shall be the judge), there shall be an independ ent water supply, and at least one sink for every tene- Sinks. ment or suite of rooms; and in every now existing tenement-house, or house that may be hereafter con verted into a tenement-house, there shall be on every floor at least one proper sink, with running water, accessible to all the tenants of that floor without passing through any other apartment, if there be no such sink in each apartment; and the space under all sinks, and also under all bath tubs where such exist, shall be left entirely open, with no woodwork enclosing the same. Section 13. All tenement-houses four or more stories in height, which shall hereafter be erected, altered or constructed, shall be made fire-proof throughout, in Fire-proof. conformity with the fire-proof ordinances now in force in said cities. Plans and specications to be filed. Section 14. The superintendent of the bureau of building inspection shall require such plans and specifications of any proposed erections, alterations or constructions of tenement-houses, as sufficiently set forth and record the intent of the builder to comply with the requirements of this act, to be filed with him; and no permit for the erection or construction or alteration Permit. of any such tenement-house shall be granted, unless 8 Laws. |
