16 Pa.C.S. Ch. 5

in effect

16 Pa.C.S. § 501 Petition to Commonwealth Court.

(a) Boundary lines.--The boundary line between two or more adjoining counties may be determined, surveyed, established or marked as provided under this title. (b) Petition.--The process under subsection (a) shall be instituted on petition of a taxpayer, the county commissioners or the governing body of a political subdivision of any of the counties involved.

16 Pa.C.S. § 502 Commonwealth Court designation of neutral court and appointment of commission.

(a) Designation.--The court, upon the filing of the petition, shall designate a court of a county not affected by the question and not adjoining any of the counties involved to act in the proceeding. The designated court shall sit in the court's home county. (b) Appointment.--If the designated court determines that the county line, or any part of the county line, shall be surveyed or marked, the court shall appoint a boundary commission, composed of three surveyors or professional engineers licensed or registered in accordance with the act of May 23, 1945 (P.L.913, No.367), known as the Engineer, Land Surveyor and Geologist Registration Law, to act for the court. Cross References. Section 502 is referred to in section 503 of this title.

16 Pa.C.S. § 503 Compensation, assistants and expenses.

(a) Compensation.--The surveyors or professional engineers composing the boundary commission under section 502 (relating to Commonwealth Court designation of neutral court and appointment of commission) shall each receive compensation fixed by the court for the time necessarily spent in the discharge of the duties and shall be reimbursed the necessary expenses incurred while engaged with the work of the commission. (b) Assistants.--The boundary commission may employ assistants as the court allows, at compensation fixed by the court. An assistant shall be reimbursed for actual necessary expenses incurred while employed by the commission. (c) Expenses.--Each cost, including the necessary expenses of advertising the meeting of the boundary commission under this chapter, and in procuring and setting the permanent monuments necessary to mark the county line, the expenses of the boundary commission and the commission's assistants and each other expense necessarily incurred shall be paid by the interested counties jointly, in equal parts, or by each party to the proceeding as directed by the court, upon presentation of properly itemized bills, duly verified by affidavit of the person claiming payment or someone on the person's behalf.

16 Pa.C.S. § 504 Oath, organization and duties.

(a) Oath.--The members of the boundary commission shall take and subscribe the oath under 53 Pa.C.S. § 1141 (relating to form of oaths of office) prior to assuming duties with the commission. (b) Organization.--The boundary commission shall: (1) Meet and organize within two weeks of the appointment. (2) Select from the commission's membership a chairperson and a secretary who shall keep a full record of the proceedings and work of the commission. (3) Advertise in not more than two newspapers published in each of the affected counties, a time and place of meeting and when and where parties shall be heard. (4) Without unreasonable delay after the hearing, ascertain the location and survey and mark with permanent monuments the existing county line between the counties.

16 Pa.C.S. § 505 Authority to fix undetermined county line.

(a) Recommendations.--If the boundary commission cannot determine, ascertain or locate the existing county line, the commission shall report to the court of common pleas with a recommendation that a new county line be established in whole or in part. (b) Establishing new lines.--If the court deems establishment of a new line necessary, the court shall direct the boundary commission to fix and determine a new county line, to mark the new county line with permanent monuments and to prepare a report in accordance with section 506 (relating to report of boundary commission, approval by court and certification of line).

16 Pa.C.S. § 506 Report of boundary commission, approval by court and certification of line.

(a) Report.--The boundary commission shall prepare a written report containing a map or draft showing the courses and distances of the line ascertained and designated by the commission as the existing county line, or if the commission has been directed to fix and determine a new county line, the map or draft shall instead show the courses and distances of the new county line. A map or draft under this subsection shall show the lands through which the line passes and the buildings in close proximity, together with the roads and streams crossed by or near to the line. (b) Filing.--The report and map, signed by a majority of the members of the boundary commission, shall be filed in the court of common pleas having been given jurisdiction and, if approved by the court, shall be recorded in the records of the court of common pleas having been given jurisdiction. (c) Notice.--Written notice shall be given by the boundary commission to the affected counties and to the owners of each land that will be affected by the proposed change of the date the report containing the recommendation of the boundary commission will be considered by the court. (d) Recording.--A copy of the report and approval shall be certified by the prothonotary to the prothonotary of each county affected, where the report and approval shall be recorded in the records. The line ascertained, surveyed, fixed and marked shall, as of the date of the certification, be the boundary line between the counties. (e) Approval.--The prothonotary, having determined the matter, shall certify the approval of the court on two copies of the report and map filed in the prothonotary's office and shall, within 30 days, transmit a copy by mail to the: (1) Secretary of Community and Economic Development; (2) Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources; and (3) Secretary of Transportation. Cross References. Section 506 is referred to in section 505 of this title.

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.palegis.us/statutes/consolidated/view-statute?txtType=HTM&ttl=16Fetched: 10/16/2026