Source: https://ecode360.com/33577788
Timestamp: 2019-10-21 05:38:01
Document Index: 447537787

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 205', '§ 205', '§ 205', '§ 205', '§ 205', '§ 205', '§ 205', '§ 205', '§ 205', '§ 205', '§ 205', '§ 205', '§ 205', '§ 205', '§ 205', '§ 205']

Borough of Essex Fells, NJ Property, Abandoned
Ch 205 Art I Vacant Residential and Nonresidential Premises
§ 205-2 General requirements.
§ 205-4 Fee schedule.
§ 205-5 Requirements for owners and other persons as to vacant and abandoned property.
§ 205-6 Administration; enforcement.
§ 205-7 Violations; penalties.
§ 205-8 Compliance with other provisions.
Ch 205 Art II Buildings Pending Foreclosure
§ 205-9 Purpose.
§ 205-10 Service of notice; contents.
§ 205-11 Creditor responsibility.
§ 205-12 Violation of state or local law at property on list; responsibility of creditor.
§ 205-13 Notification of violation.
§ 205-14 Repair by Borough.
Chapter 205 Property, Abandoned
[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Essex Fells 7-17-2018 by Ord. No. 2018-997[1]. Amendments noted where applicable.]
Editor's Note: This ordinance was originally adopted as Ch. 60 but was renumbered in order to maintain the alphabetical order of the Code.
A property which contains both residential and nonresidential space may be considered abandoned pursuant to P.L. 2003, c. 210 (N.J.S.A. 55:19-78 et al.) so long as two-thirds or more of the total net square footage of the building was previously legally occupied as residential space and none of the residential space has been legally occupied for at least six months at the time of the determination of abandonment by the Zoning Officer and the property meets the criteria of either Subsection A(1) or (4) of this section.
Any condition that, on its own, or combined with other conditions present, would lead a reasonable person to believe that the property is or has been vacant for three or more months. Such evidence would include but is not limited to, evidence of the existence of two or more of the following conditions at a property: overgrown or dead vegetation; accumulation of newspapers, circulars, flyers or mail; past-due utility notices or disconnected utilities; accumulation of trash, junk or debris; the absence of window coverings such as curtains, blinds or shutters; the absence of furnishings or personal items consistent with residential habitation; statements by neighbors, delivery agents, or government employees that the property is vacant or abandoned; infestation by insects, vermin, rats or other pests; windows or entrances that are boarded up or closed off; multiple windowpanes that are damaged, broken or unrepaired; doors that are smashed, broken, unhinged or continuously unlocked; a risk to the health, safety or welfare of the public, or any adjoining or adjacent property owners, exists due to acts of vandalism, loitering, criminal conduct, or the physical destruction or deterioration of the property; or any uncorrected violation of a municipal building, housing or similar code during the preceding year. Property determined to be "abandoned property" in accordance with the meaning of such term in the Abandoned Properties Rehabilitation Act, N.J.S.A. 55:19-78 et seq, shall also be deemed to be vacant property for the purposes of this chapter.
Includes the title holder, any agent of the title holder having authority to act with respect to a vacant property, any foreclosing entity subject to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 46:10B-51 (P.L. 2008, c. 127, Sec. 17), or any other entity determined by the Borough of Essex Fells to have authority to act with respect to the property.
The owner of any "vacant property," as defined herein, shall within 30 days after the building becomes vacant property or within 30 days after assuming ownership of the vacant property, whichever is later, file a registration statement for each such vacant property with the Borough of Essex Fells Municipal Clerk on forms provided by the Clerk for such purposes, as well as any additional information that the Clerk may reasonably request. The registration shall remain valid until the end of the calendar year. The owner shall be required to renew the registration annually, no later than January 31 as long as the building remains vacant property and shall pay a registration or renewal fee for each vacant property registered.
Any owner of any building that meets the definition of vacant property prior to the date of adoption of this chapter shall file a registration statement for that property on or before September 30. The registration statement shall include the information required under § 205-3 of this article, as well as any additional information that the Borough may reasonably require.
The registration statement shall be deemed prima facie proof of the information therein contained in any administrative enforcement proceeding or court proceeding instituted by the Borough of Essex Fells against the owner or owners of the property.
After filing a registration statement or a renewal of a registration statement, the owner of any vacant property shall provide the Borough of Essex Fells Zoning Officer with access to the property, following reasonable notice, during the period covered by the initial registration or any subsequent renewal. If an inspection is required of the interior of the property due to complaints or other cause, the fee for such inspection shall be the same as that for a certificate of habitability inspection.
An owner who is a natural person and who meets the requirements of this article as to availability of a contact number on a twenty-four-hour emergency basis may designate him- or herself as agent.
By designating an authorized agent under the provisions of this section, the owner consents to receive any and all notices of code violations concerning the registered vacant property and all process in any court proceeding or administrative enforcement proceeding brought to enforce code provisions concerning the registered building by service of the notice or process on the authorized agent. Any owner who has designated an authorized agent under the provisions of this section shall be deemed to consent to the continuation of the agent's designation for the purpose of this section until the owner notifies the Borough of Essex Fells of a change of the authorized agent or until the owner files a new annual registration statement. The designation of an authorized agent in no way releases the owner from any requirement of this article.
The initial registration fee for each building that has become vacant or abandoned property shall be $500. The fee for the first renewal shall be $750. The fee for the second and any subsequent renewal shall be $1,000.
The owner of any building that has become vacant or abandoned property, and any person maintaining, operating or collecting rent for any such building that has become vacant, shall immediately post a sign affixed to the door indicating the name, address and telephone number of the owner, the owner's authorized agent for the purpose of service of process, and the person responsible for the day-to-day supervision and management of the building, if such person is different from the owner holding title or authorized agent.
The standards and requirements of this section shall apply as long as any dwelling remains vacant or unoccupied.
The Borough Administrator may issue rules and regulations for the administration of the provisions of this article.
Any owner who is not in full compliance with this article or who otherwise violates any provision of this article or of the rules and regulations issued hereunder shall be subject to a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $2,000 for each offense. Every day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. Fines assessed under this article shall be recoverable from the owner and shall be a lien on the property.
For purposes of this article, failure to file a registration statement in time, failure to provide correct information on the registration statement, failure to comply with the provisions of § 205-3, or such other matters as may be established by the rules and regulations of the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Essex Fells shall be deemed to be a violation of this article.
Nothing in this chapter is intended to nor shall be read to conflict or prevent the Borough of Essex Fells from taking action against buildings found to be unfit for human habitation or unsafe structures as provided in applicable provisions of the Borough Code and/or the Uniform Construction Code. Further, any action taken under any such code provision other than the demolition of a structure shall not relieve an owner from its obligations under this article.
A creditor serving a summons and complaint in an action to foreclose on a mortgage on property located with the Borough of Essex Fells shall serve the Borough Clerk with a notice indicating that a summons and complaint in an action to foreclose on a mortgage has been filed against the subject property. The notice may contain information about more than one property and shall be provided by mail or electronic communication at the discretion of the Borough Clerk.
By September 30, 2018, any creditor that has initiated a foreclosure proceeding on any residential property which is pending in Superior Court shall provide to the Borough Clerk a notice as described below for all residential properties in the Borough for which the creditor has pending foreclosure actions.
In the event the creditor that has served a summons and complaint in an action to foreclose on a residential property is located out of state, the notice shall also contain the full name and contact information of an in-state representative or agent who shall be responsible for the care, maintenance, security, and upkeep of the exterior of the property if it becomes vacant and abandoned.
If the Borough expends public funds in order to abate a nuisance or correct a violation at a property in which the creditor was given notice pursuant to the provisions of § 205-13, but failed to abate the nuisance or correct the violation as directed, the Borough shall have the same recourse against the creditor as it would have had against the title owner of the property, including but not limited to the recourse provided at N.J.S.A. 55:19-100.
An out-of-state creditor subject to this article found by the Municipal Court, or by any other court of competent jurisdiction, to be in violation of the requirement to appoint an in-state representative or agent pursuant to this article shall be subject to a fine of $2,500 for each day of the violation. Any fines imposed on a creditor for the failure to appoint an in-state representative or agent shall commence on the day after the ten-day period set forth in paragraph (1) of Subsection a. of Section 17 of P.L. 2008, c. 127 (N.J.S.A. 46:10B-51) and § 205-11 of this chapter for providing notice to the Borough Clerk that a summons and complaint in an action to foreclose on a mortgage has been served.