SB 345 — An Act amending the act of April 8, 1982 (P.L.310, No.87), referred to as the Recorder of Deeds Fee Law, further providing for a fee imposed and used for demolition.

PRINTER'S NO.   282

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         SENATE BILL
                         No. 345
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY ARGALL, BROWN, STEFANO, DUSH, KEARNEY, FONTANA,
        COSTA, KANE AND MILLER, FEBRUARY 26, 2025

     REFERRED TO URBAN AFFAIRS AND HOUSING, FEBRUARY 26, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of April 8, 1982 (P.L.310, No.87), entitled "An
 2      act establishing fees for services of recorders of deeds in
 3      counties of the second A, third, fourth, fifth, sixth,
 4      seventh and eighth classes and home rule charter counties of
 5      these classes; authorizing a special deed and mortgage
 6      recording fee in certain counties; and establishing county
 7      demolition funds," further providing for a fee imposed and
 8      used for demolition.
 9      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10   hereby enacts as follows:
11      Section 1.    Section 2.2(b) of the act of April 8, 1982
12   (P.L.310, No.87), referred to as the Recorder of Deeds Fee Law,
13   is amended to read:
14      Section 2.2.     * * *
15      (b)   [In] (1)    Except as provided in paragraphs (3) and (4),
16      in addition to the fees charged by a recorder of deeds or an
17      equivalent officer in a county, the governing body of the
18      county may, by resolution or ordinance, authorize the
19      recorder of deeds to charge and collect a fee not to exceed
20      [$15] $16 for each deed and mortgage recorded.
21            (2)   Beginning one year after the effective date of this
 1    paragraph and annually thereafter, the Department of
 2    Community and Economic Development shall calculate an
 3    increase in the fee amount under paragraph (1) at the rate of
 4    inflation as outlined in the Consumer Price Index for All
 5    Urban Consumers for the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-
 6    NJ-DE-MD area for the most recent 12-month period for which
 7    the figures have been reported by the United States
 8    Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, rounded to
 9    the nearest dollar. The Department of Community and Economic
10    Development shall transmit notice of the following to the
11    Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the next
12    available issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin:
13              (i)    If the rate of inflation increases, the
14        increased fee amount.
15              (ii)    If the rate of inflation does not increase,
16        that the fee amount will remain the same as it was for
17        the previous year.
18        (3)   The governing body of a county may increase the fee
19    each year to the published increased fee amount under
20    paragraph (2)(i) and by ordinance or resolution authorize the
21    recorder of deeds to charge and collect the increased fee.
22        (4)   If the governing body of a county does not increase
23    the fee in a year or years under paragraph (3) and
24    subsequently chooses to do so, the governing body may
25    increase the fee to the most recently published increased fee
26    amount under paragraph (2)(i) and by ordinance or resolution
27    authorize the recorder of deeds to charge and collect the
28    increased fee.
29        (5)   The fee shall be deposited into the county
30    demolition fund to be used exclusively for the demolition of

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1     blighted property situate in the county.
2     * * *
3     Section 2.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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