What the affidavit actually requires
The affidavit and the ordinance behind it list three things, and the ordinance says they must be in place at or before settlement (Abington affidavit and Ordinance 1894):
- Address numbers at least 3 inches tall on the street side of the house, readable from the center of the street.
- Smoke detectors on every level and in every bedroom or sleeping area. The ordinance text calls for a new single-station detector; where an existing hard-wired system doesn’t cover every area, battery detectors may fill the gaps.
- A carbon monoxide detector within 40 feet of every sleeping area. The ordinance text calls for a new one.
This applies to single-family, two-family and multifamily homes sold in the township, not just detached houses. A violation is a summary offense with a fine of up to $1,000 or up to 30 days in jail, and each day counts separately (Abington affidavit and Ordinance 1894). If your alarms are near the end of their life anyway, how often smoke and CO alarms should be replaced covers the date codes to check.
Who signs it and when
The residential page says the affidavit is presented when the deed is registered, signed by either the sellers or the buyers and notarized; vacant lots are exempt (Abington residential forms page). The form itself has a line for the seller, so ask your title company early who will sign and who will deliver it. Don’t assume the buyer’s home inspector handles it; that inspection is private and has nothing to do with this paperwork.
A quick seller walk-through before listing catches most problems: look at the house numbers from the middle of the street, count levels and bedrooms against the alarms you have, and check that a CO alarm sits within 40 feet of each bedroom door. Missing or chirping hard-wired alarms are a job for an electrician, not a ladder and a guess. If you’re unsure about placement, ask Code Enforcement at 267-536-1000, ext. 4, before settlement.
What still comes up at an Abington sale
No resale U&O doesn’t mean nothing else matters:
- Sewer certification. The township directs these requests to the Tax Office at 267-536-1024 (Abington residential forms page).
- Buyer inspection findings. Pennsylvania law describes a home inspection as based on the visible and apparent condition of the house on the inspection day, with no warranty, and says a non-engineer inspector may advise a structural engineer’s opinion (Pennsylvania Residential Real Estate Transfers Law). Treat the report as the buyer’s list, not a township violation list, and have your agent or attorney check the agreement’s deadlines before you agree to repairs or a credit.
- Seller disclosure. The same law lists structural problems, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, water and sewage service, and past additions or remodeling among the items a seller’s disclosure covers (Pennsylvania Residential Real Estate Transfers Law).
Repairs for the sale can still need permits
If you fix things to close the deal, the normal permit rules apply. Abington lists separate electrical, plumbing, mechanical and building permits, and plumbing permits must be filed and inspections scheduled by a master plumber or journeyman registered with the township (Abington residential forms page). The same page says contractors doing $5,000 or more a year in home improvements must register with the Pennsylvania Attorney General, and the township keeps its own home-improvement contractor registration. For each repair, ask the contractor which permit it needs, who files it, which inspections follow and what closing paperwork you’ll get. Our guide to which Abington projects need a permit covers roofs, fences and decks.
When the house isn’t a plain residence
The no-U&O answer is for residential, non-business properties. Abington’s commercial page says its U&O permit covers commercial, triplex and quadplex use, and is required for first occupancy after permitted construction, a change in use, or a transfer of a building or business (Abington commercial forms page). If the property has a home business, three or more units, or a planned conversion, ask Code Enforcement which process applies. A mailing address name alone doesn’t prove the house is in Abington; check the township’s Resident Lookup Map, and see how to find which Montgomery County township office handles a property if it turns out to be a neighboring town.