Section 7284 - Legislative finding(a) It is hereby determined and declared as a matter of legislative finding that: (1) There exists in counties of the first class in this Commonwealth areas which have become blighted, or are deteriorating and, thus, in serious danger of becoming blighted, because of the unsafe, unsanitary, inadequate or overcrowded condition of the dwellings therein, because of the conditions of vacant lots, or because of inadequate planning of the area, or the excessive land coverage by the building thereon, or the lack of proper light and air and open space, or because of the defective design and arrangement of the buildings thereon, or faulty street or lot layout, or economically or socially undesirable land uses. As a result of these conditions, blighted and deteriorated areas have been conducive to the spread of disease and have been productive of an alarming rise in juvenile delinquency and crime.(2) These areas contain numerous empty lots which are generally used for dumping and are breeding places for vermin. These empty lots are detrimental to the health, safety and welfare of the community and result in accelerating the trend toward neighborhood deterioration and blight.(3) These vacant lots are generally tax delinquent. Neighboring land owners and others generally refrain from purchasing these lots at tax sales and rehabilitating them (i) because of the necessity of two sales under existing law and (ii) because the prior owner has under existing law an outstanding right to redeem the property and oust the purchaser from possession.(b) It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to promote the health, safety and welfare of the inhabitants thereof by encouraging neighboring land owners and others to purchase vacant lots at tax sales by authorizing the purchaser at a tax sale, wherever tax delinquencies exist for a period of at least five years, to take title upon such sale free of all tax and municipal claims, liens, mortgages, ground rents, charges and estates and without any right of redemption.1956, March 1, P.L. (1955) 1196, § 1, imd. effective.