Lower Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority

The Authority requires an Application be filled out in its entirety. For the information contained in the certification to be true and accurate, the Authority requires the APPLICATION be submitted 30 days prior to settlement.

A certification will not be processed unless the application AND the application fee have been received.

The Authority requires a minimum of 30 working days notification for an easement inspection. If you are a Realtor requesting an easement inspection, please include your contact information, including a fax number and the address of the property or simply fax the easement inspection request to 215-949-4364. A house does not have to be under agreement or sold to request an easement inspection. The Authority encourages Realtors to request an easement inspection as soon as a listing is obtained to allow the seller more time to correct any issues found. A Pre-Inspection Checklist has been furnished to educate and assist Realtors, Property Owners, etc. in ensuring there are no violations on a property.

Notification from either the title company handling the settlement, the real estate agent involved in the selling/buying of the property, attorney handling the sale of the property or the homeowner will be accepted.

The certification fee is $100 per certification that is processed, including rental certifications when a tenant moves in or out. There is no charge for the sanitary sewer easement inspection at this time.

The certification will include a final meter reading, any outstanding account balances, any usage and monies owed from the final reading taken and whether an easement inspection was conducted or insufficient time was allotted to conduct the required inspection.

In addition to ever increasing regulatory requirements from State and Federal agencies, easement restrictions and related issues have become a primary concern for the Authority. Easements for public utilities are common throughout the Country and typically restrict usage in order to protect, preserve and maintain reliable and safe public utility systems. The vast majority of properties in Levittown have some form of an easement located on the property for sewer, water and/or PECO, Verizon, etc. The easement restrictions prohibit structures as well as any trees, shrubs, etc. which grow taller than 2-3 feet. Essentially, the easement area is restricted to grass or flower/vegetable gardens. This makes it possible for utility crews to quickly respond to and repair utility lines when there is an emergency as well as perform routine maintenance and improvements to the systems. The plot plan received with the original purchase of the home will indicate the size and location of any sanitary sewer easement on your property and was drawn on 8 1/2 x 14 size paper.

Trees on easements are the #1 problem as the roots can penetrate both the Authority and property owner's sewer lines causing damage to the pipes as well as blockages, while the tree itself grows into the electrical lines and transformers causing interruption in service and in some cases, massive outages from damage to poles, lines, etc. When trees are improperly located or allowed to grow out of control, the results can be devastating to property owners. Trees located on easements are typically identified with orange paint to aid the property owner in identifying the specific trees requiring removal. Grinding the stumps of these trees are also required to alleviate regrowth.

The Authority also requires a Sanitary Sewer Easement Permit be obtained prior to constructing any structure within the Authority’s sanitary sewer easement to ensure the Authoritys easement requirements are met. Many structures have been built/placed on an easement without Authority permission. When the Authority discovers these structures the homeowner is notified of the Violation and the corrective actions that are required.

The Authority has a full set of Levitt plot plans. They are available at our Wastewater Treatment Plant at a cost of $35.00 each.

Property lines and easements are clearly noted on these plot plans and are the responsibility of the property owner to locate. The Authority does not survey properties to determine where the property line or easement is located. These plot plans are drawn to scale and should not be altered or resized. An unmarked original copy should always be kept on hand by the property owner. Click to view a sample plot plan.

In all cases, the property owner is responsible for all easement issues located on their property. It is the duty of the property owner to investigate a property before purchasing and familiarize themselves with any easement and associated restrictions. The Authority attempts to assist the property owners by providing an easement inspection as part of the certification at no additional charge. Please note that the easement inspection does not remove or in any way reduce the responsibility of the property owner for strictly adhering to the easement restrictions nor does it in any way place responsibility of any easement issues(s) upon the Authority.