Q: Is the usage of fireworks, including novelty items such as sparklers, legal in Green Tree?

A: Generally, Borough Ordinance prohibits the sale or discharge of any firework, firecracker, sparker, or other pyrotechnic. Fireworks can only be legally displayed following the issuance of a permit by Council, which must be applied for thirty days in advance of such display.

Q: I understand that overnight parking on the streets of the Borough is prohibited by Ordinance. Is it lawful to park anywhere on my property, as long as my car is not on the street?

A: While overnight parking on the street is prohibited, alternatively parking your car on your lawn adjacent to the street also constitutes an Ordinance violation. Every vehicle must be parked on an "improved all weather surface," such as a concrete or asphalt driveway, or an area that has been otherwise properly prepared with crushed stone, driveway paving blocks, or similar materials.

Q: I like the customized look of deeply tinted windows on my car or truck. What is the regulation concerning the application of "aftermarket" window tinting material?

A: Pennsylvania law prohibits the application of any "aftermarket" window tinting materials. The exception to this law is for vehicle owner who suffer from a documented medical condition, which necessitates the reduction of the amount of sunlight transmitted into their vehicle.

Q: I've been told by a police officer that my hedges, shrubs, or other landscape planting are blocking the view of drivers on the street adjacent to my property. Can the police legally compel me to cut, or trim my shrubs or plantings?

A: The Pa. Motor Vehicle Code authorizes police officers to require that property owners cut, trim, or otherwise manage their landscape planting so that the plantings don't constitute a view obstruction to any driver operating on the streets around your property, and a refusal to comply constitutes a summary offense. In the interest of both driver and pedestrian safety, it's a good idea to regularly check your bushes and shrubs to make certain that their overgrowth doesn't block the clear vision of drivers, especially at intersections.

Q: In the wintertime, I typically shovel the snow from my driveway into the street, but I've heard that it's not legal to do this. Is this true?

A: The Pa. Motor Vehicle Code prohibits the introduction of "dangerous and detrimental substances" onto the highways, and this law specifically includes snow. Property owners should instead, blow or shovel the snow from their driveways onto their lawn areas, where it won't affect motorists or hinder the Borough's snow removal effort.

Q: Speaking of winter driving, I've been told that a recently enacted State Law says that I'm in violation if I don't clean every bit of snow from my vehicle. Is this also true?

A: This newly enacted law dictates that a driver commits an offense if snow or ice coming from his or her vehicle injures anyone. To be on the safe side, you should always clean accumulated snow from your car, and especially from the windows.