HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania property owners will face new transparency requirements under legislation signed into law Monday that requires municipalities to maintain contact information for property owners, a measure intended to strengthen code enforcement efforts against blighted properties.
The legislation, House Bill 858, was authored by state Rep. Jared Solomon, D-Philadelphia, and signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Under the new law, municipalities must collect and maintain property owner contact information, giving local officials a direct means of contacting owners when properties fall into disrepair.
The measure is intended to address situations in which properties are owned through limited liability companies or other entities that can make responsible parties difficult to identify, complicating code enforcement and delaying remediation efforts.
“Too often, the point of contact for blighted properties is an unreachable LLC,” Solomon stated. “Without a legitimate point of contact, the property will continue to deteriorate, creating serious safety hazards, lowering property values and overall affecting our quality of life.”
Solomon said the law will provide municipalities with an additional enforcement tool by making it easier to identify and communicate with property owners before blight worsens.
“This is a powerful tool to ensure that there are real consequences for property owners who stall code enforcement, wasting the county’s time, money and resources,” Solomon stated. “Our neighborhoods deserve a recourse that holds property owners accountable for blighted properties – to cultivate safer neighborhoods with higher property values and community pride.”
With Shapiro’s signature, the legislation takes effect as Pennsylvania law, adding new recordkeeping requirements for municipalities as they work to enforce local property maintenance standards.
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