Section 5231 - Court review(a) Any persons jointly or severally aggrieved by any decision of the board of adjustment or any taxpayer or any officer, department, board or bureau of the county may present to the court of common pleas of the county in which the property concerning which such decision was made is located a petition, duly verified, setting forth that such decision is illegal, in whole or in part, specifying the grounds of the illegality. Such a petition shall be presented to the court within thirty days after the filing of the decision in the office of the board. Upon the presentation of such petition, the court may allow a writ of certiorari directed to the board of adjustment to review such decision of the board of adjustment, and shall prescribe therein the time within which a return thereto must be made and served upon the relator's attorney, which shall not be less than ten days and may be extended by the court. The allowance of the writ shall not stay proceedings upon the decision appealed from, but the court may on application, on notice to the board and on due cause shown, grant a restraining order.(b) The board of adjustment shall not be required to return the original papers acted upon by it, but it shall be sufficient to return certified or sworn copies thereof or of such portions thereof as may be called for by such writ. The return shall concisely set forth such other facts as may be pertinent and material to show the grounds of the decision appealed from and shall be verified.(c) If upon the hearing it shall appear to the court that testimony is necessary for the proper disposition of the matter, it may take evidence, or appoint a referee to take such evidence, as it may direct, and report the same to the court with his findings of fact and conclusions of law, which shall constitute a part of the proceedings upon which the determination of the court shall be made. The court may reverse or affirm, wholly or partly, or may modify the decision brought up for review.(d) Costs shall not be allowed against the board unless it shall appear to the court that it acted with gross negligence or in bad faith or with malice in making the decision appealed from.(e) All issues in any proceeding under this section shall have preference over all other civil actions and proceedings.1953, July 28, P.L. 723, art. XXII, § 2231.