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Amending Title 10 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Regulation of Individual Conduct and Activity," Chapter 10-800, "Safety," by adding a new Section 10-840, "Criminal Squatters," prohibiting conduct related to criminal squatting, establishing and clarifying procedures to investigate criminal squatters on real property, establishing and clarifying procedures for the removal of criminal squatters, and establishing procedures for the dissemination of information on eviction and ejectment proceedings, and emergency housing, all under certain terms and conditions.
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THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION 1. Title 10 of The Philadelphia Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
TITLE 10. REGULATION OF INDIVIDUAL CONDUCT AND ACTIVITY.
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CHAPTER 10-800. SAFETY.
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ยง 10-840. Removal of Criminal Squatters
(1) Definitions. For the purposes of this Section 10-840, the following definitions shall apply:
(a) Alleged criminal squatter. An alleged criminal squatter is a person who the owner of a property alleges is criminally squatting on the owner's residential property under this Section 10-840.
(b) City of Philadelphia Appropriate Eviction and Ejectment Proceedings Fact Sheet. A fact sheet created by the Law Department in consultation with appropriate City offices and departments, which shall, at a minimum:
(.1) Explain the procedures for eviction or ejectment available
before the Court of Common Pleas and Municipal Court, and emergency preliminary injunction proceedings in the courts.
(.2) Explain the procedure set forth in this Section 10-840 as well as the limitations on self-help evictions set forth in Chapter 9-1600.
(.3) Provide contact information for legal resources available to
homeowners such as local legal services agencies and the county bar association's lawyer referral service.
(c) City of Philadel...
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