Source: https://www.ecode360.com/30530415
Timestamp: 2018-12-10 19:23:29
Document Index: 541897021

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179', '§ 179']

Ventnor City, NJ Property, Vacant and Foreclosing
Ch 179 Art I Foreclosing Creditor Obligations for Residential Property
§ 179-1 Report of foreclosure proceedings by in-state creditors.
§ 179-2 Report of foreclosure proceedings by out-of-state creditors.
§ 179-3 Creditor responsibility for property exterior.
§ 179-4 Designated enforcement officers.
§ 179-5 Determination of "vacant and abandoned."
§ 179-6 Notice to creditor of violation.
§ 179-7 Fines and recovery of public funds.
§ 179-8 Allocation of collected fines.
Ch 179 Art II Abandoned Real Property
§ 179-9 Purpose and intent.
§ 179-10 Definitions.
§ 179-11 Applicability.
§ 179-12 Establishment of registry.
§ 179-13 Registration of abandoned real property.
§ 179-14 Maintenance requirements.
§ 179-15 Security requirements.
§ 179-16 Public nuisance.
§ 179-17 Penalties; schedule of civil penalties.
§ 179-18 Inspections for violations.
§ 179-19 Additional authority.
§ 179-20 Opposing, obstructing enforcement officer; penalty.
§ 179-21 Immunity of enforcement officer.
Chapter 179: Property, Vacant and Foreclosing
Buildings, unfit — See Ch. 89.
Chapter 179 : Property, Vacant and Foreclosing
Article I Foreclosing Creditor Obligations for Residential Property
Article I: Foreclosing Creditor Obligations for Residential Property
[Adopted 2-19-2015 by Ord. No. 2015-01]
In accordance with N.J.S.A. 46:10B-51, an in-state creditor serving a summons and complaint in an action to foreclose a mortgage on a residential property in the City shall, within 10 days of effectuating service, notify the City Clerk of the filing of the action and service of the complaint and summons against the subject property.
The notice to the City Clerk shall be in writing by mail or e-mail and shall provide:
The block and lot numbers of the property.
Indicate if the property being foreclosed on is an affordable unit pursuant to the Fair Housing Act (N.J.S.A. 52:27D-301 et al.).
The full name and contact information for the representative of the creditor who is responsible for receiving complaints of property maintenance and code violations.
The notice described in this section may contain notice information regarding more than one property in foreclosure.
The Clerk shall forward a copy of the notice to the designated enforcement officer under § 179-4 as soon as practicable after receipt.
In accordance with N.J.S.A. 46:10B-51 and N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.12s, an out-of-state creditor serving a summons and complaint in an action to foreclose a mortgage on a residential property in the City shall, within 10 days of effectuating service, notify the City Clerk of the filing of the action and service of the complaint and summons against the subject property.
Indicate whether the property being foreclosed on is an affordable unit pursuant to the Fair Housing Act (N.J.S.A. 52:27D-301 et al.).
The notice to the City Clerk shall also contain the full name and contact information of an in-state representative or agent designated by the creditor be responsible for the care, maintenance, security, and upkeep of the exterior of the property if it becomes vacant and abandoned.
A creditor serving a summons and complaint in an action to foreclose a mortgage on a residential property in the City shall be responsible for the care, maintenance, security, and upkeep of the exterior of the property should the property become vacant or abandoned before or during the pendency of the foreclosure proceedings.
A creditor's care, maintenance, security, and upkeep responsibilities under this article shall continue until title to the property vests with the creditor, title vests with a person or entity other than the debtor or creditor, or the foreclosure complaint is dismissed.
The substance of a creditor's care, maintenance, security, and upkeep obligations shall be those that:
Are set forth or referenced in Chapters 86, 89, 98, 110, 122, 132, 138, 158, 178, or 197 of the City Code; and
Relate to residential property exteriors.
The City employees or officials respectively responsible for enforcement of the provisions of Chapters 86, 89, 98, 110, 122, 132, 138, 158, 178, and 197 shall be responsible for the enforcement of those provisions on creditors subject to this article to the same extent they would be responsible for enforcement against a title owner.
A property shall be considered vacant and abandoned where the property is unoccupied by the title owner, a mortgagor, or a lessee and at least two of the following conditions exist:
Accumulation of newspapers, circulars, flyers, or mail on the property;
Disconnected gas, electric, or water utility service to the property;
Accumulation of hazardous, noxious, or unhealthy substances or materials on the property;
Accumulation of junk, litter, trash, or debris on the property;
Absence of window treatments such as blinds, curtains, or shutters;
Absence of furnishings and personal items;
A written statement issued by any mortgagor expressing the clear intent of all mortgagors to abandon the property; or
A property shall be considered vacant and abandoned where the creditor brings its action for foreclosure in a summary manner pursuant to any statutory or common law authority to foreclose upon vacant or abandoned property in such a manner.
A designated enforcement officer under § 179-4 shall provide notice to the creditor, through the creditor's designated representatives, of any violation of this article by virtue of the creditor's failure to provide for the care, maintenance, security, and upkeep of the exterior of a vacant or abandoned residential property.
The notice shall provide a description of the conditions that gave rise to the violation.
The notice shall require that the creditor correct the violation within 30 days of receipt of the notice or, where the violation presents an imminent threat to public health and safety, within 10 days of the receipt of the notice.
If the notice is for a violation presenting an imminent threat to public health and safety, the notice shall so indicate.
An out-of-state creditor found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have violated this article by failing to designate an in-state representative or agent pursuant to § 179-2B shall be subject to a fine of $2,500 for each day of the violation commencing on the first day after the ten-day period for notice to the City Clerk under § 179-2A.
A creditor found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have violated this article by failing to correct a care, maintenance, security, or upkeep violation cited in a notice issued pursuant to § 179-6 shall be subject to a fine of $1,500 for each day of the violation. Any fines imposed pursuant to this subsection shall commence 31 days following the creditor's receipt of the notice, except if the violation presents an imminent risk to public health, in which case any fines shall commence 11 days following the creditor's receipt of the notice.
If, after the correction period under § 179-6 has expired, the City expends public funds in order to correct a violation of a creditor's care, maintenance, security, or upkeep obligation, the City shall have the same recourse against the title owner of the property, including but not limited to the filing of municipal liens and the recourse provided under N.J.S.A. 55:19-100.
No less than 20% of any monies collected pursuant to § 179-7A and B shall be utilized by the City for code enforcement purposes.
[Adopted 2-18-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-01]
Any real property located in the municipality, whether vacant or occupied, that is in default on a mortgage, has had a lis pendens filed against it by the lender holding a mortgage on the property, is subject to an ongoing foreclosure action by the lender, is subject to an application for a tax deed or pending tax assessors' lien sale, or has been transferred to the lender under a deed in lieu of foreclosure. The designation of a property as "abandoned" shall remain in place until such time as the property is sold or transferred to a new owner, the foreclosure action has been dismissed, and any default on the mortgage has been cured.
Pursuant to the provisions of § 179-9, the municipality or designee shall participate in the county-wide registration program established by the Atlantic County Improvement Authority and administered by Community Champions Corporation cataloging each abandoned property within the municipality, containing the information required by this article.
Any mortgagee who holds a mortgage on real property located within the municipality of Ventnor City shall perform an inspection of the property to determine vacancy or occupancy, upon default by the mortgagor. The mortgagee shall, within 10 days of the inspection, register the property with the Division of Code Enforcement, or designee, on forms or website access provided by the municipality, and indicate whether the property is vacant or occupied. A separate registration is required for each property, whether it is found to be vacant or occupied.
Failure of the mortgagee and/or owner to properly maintain the property may result in a violation of the applicable code(s) and issuance of a citation or notice of violation in accordance with Chapter 86 (which incorporates the provisions of Sections 89, 98, 110, 122, 132, 138, 158, 178 and 197) of the municipality of Ventnor City's Code of Ordinances. Pursuant to a finding and determination by the municipality's Code Enforcement Officer/Board, Hearing Officer/Special Magistrate or a court of competent jurisdiction, the municipality may take the necessary action to ensure compliance with this section.
Any person who shall violate the provisions of this article may be cited and fined as provided in Chapter 86 (which incorporates the provisions of Sections 89, 98, 110, 122, 132, 138, 158, 178 and 197) of the municipality of Ventnor City Code of Ordinances and New Jersey Statutes, N.J.S.A. 55:19-78 et. seq. The following table shows violations of these sections, as may be amended from time to time, which may be enforced pursuant to the provisions of this regulation; and the dollar amount of civil penalty for the violation of these sections as it may be amended. The descriptions of violations below are for informational purposes only and are not meant to limit or define the nature of the violations or the subject matter of the municipality Code sections, except to the extent that different types of violations of the Code section may carry different civil penalties. For each Code section listed in the schedule of civil penalties, the entirety of the section may be enforced by the mechanism provided in this section, regardless of whether all activities prescribed or required are described in the "Description of Violation" column. To determine whether a particular activity is prescribed or required by this Code, the relevant municipality Code section(s) shall be examined.
Adherence to this article does not relieve any person, legal entity or agent from any other obligations set forth in any applicable code(s), which may apply to the property. Upon sale or transfer of title to the property, the owner shall be responsible for all violations of the applicable code(s), and the owner shall be responsible for meeting with the municipality's Code Enforcement Division within 45 days for a final courtesy inspection report.
The Code Enforcement Board or Hearing Officer/Special Magistrate shall have the authority to require the mortgagee and/or owner of record of any property affected by this section to implement additional maintenance and/or security measure, including, but not limited to, securing any and all doors, windows or other openings, employment of an on-site security guard or other measures as may be reasonably required to help prevent further decline of the property.