Pi Lambda Phi fraternity was fined $300 plus court fees for violating fire codes, although members did not appear at a district court hearing yesterday.

Tom Butts, president of Pi Lambda Phi, said he was not aware his chapter was scheduled to appear before District Justice Clifford Yorks.

Yorks delayed proceedings for about 15 minutes to wait for the defendants to show up. He then asked Centre County Code Enforcement Officer Jon Weir to present the prosecution's evidence.

In testimony that lasted a little more than five minutes, Weir said a September 1992 house inspection revealed violations of 65 fire codes.

Weir said there has been communication between representatives from the fraternity and him since the 1992 inspection.

"I kept hearing the same thing from them, money is a problem," he said.

Ironically, a house-wide fire alarm system was turned on two days before a blaze destroyed the fraternity house Jan. 29, Weir said.

"After talking with the boys, that's the only thing that woke them up," he said.

Weir said last week that the violations that remained at the time of the fire were minor, and only 15 were not abated, including missing handrails and a door that needed to be replaced.

"The violations have been settled through the court system," he said. "The citations are over. The building is uninhabitable."

Although the citations may be finished, a representative from Pi Lambda Phi's national chapter said the court proceedings are not the end of it.

"I'm surprised why no one was there, but I will be looking into it," said Alan Wunsch, executive director of Pi Lambda Phi's national chapter. He said he was unaware of the hearing and confused about why no one representing the chapter was present.

"There should have been representatives from the chapter or the house organization," he added. "I assume it was just oversight."

The hearing was originally set for Feb. 3, but the defendants were granted a continuance and the hearing was moved to yesterday. Ed Isaacson, the chapter's adviser, said on Jan. 30 that he would attend the hearing Feb. 3.