[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Council of the Township
of Saddle Brook 5-7-2015 by Ord. No. 1595-15. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
An "abandoned property" is hereby defined as one that has not
been legally occupied for a period of six months and meets one of
the following criteria:
A.
The property is in need of rehabilitation and has not been rehabilitated
during the unoccupied period;
B.
Construction has been initiated on the property in the past, but
not for the six-month period;
C.
The property has been in tax arrearage for at least one installment
period; or
D.
The property has been determined to be a nuisance by the Business
Administrator, the Construction Official, the Health Officer, the
Fire Subcode Official, or other public official charged with condemnation
responsibilities and granted the appropriate authority. ("Nuisance"
includes a finding that the property is unfit for human habitation
and/or is determined to be a fire hazard or potential health and safety
hazard.)
A.
All properties deemed to be "abandoned property" as defined herein,
shall be required to be registered with the Township of Saddle Brook,
and registered through the Township in accordance with the procedures
established by the Township, within 60 days of said property being
an abandoned property as defined herein.
B.
Registration information provided to the Township must include the
name, address and phone number of the person who is the authorized
agent of the owner for purposes of enforcement of the code.
C.
The responsible agent for the property shall be required to do the
following: secure the structure, post a notice on the structure with
the contact information of the agent, inspect the property monthly
and submit a report of said inspection to the public official responsible
for enforcement, winterize the structure, remove snow from the public
walks, and adhere to the Township's property maintenance ordinance.
The initial registration fee for each building shall be $250.
The fee for the first renewal is $500. The fee for any subsequent
renewal is $1,000. After five years, the registration fee shall be
$5,000. The initial fee shall be prorated according to the month of
registration. There is no credit when a property becomes legally occupied
during the renewal period. The term for each registration year shall
run from January 1 to December 31 of each year, with all fees due
by January 1 of that year.
|
Vacant and Abandoned Property Registration Fee Schedule
| |
|---|---|
|
Registration
|
Fee
|
|
Initial registration
|
$250
|
|
First renewal
|
$500
|
|
Any subsequent renewal up to five years
|
$1,000
|
|
After five years
|
$5,000
|
A.
The Construction Code Official is hereby directed to identify abandoned
properties within the municipality, place said properties on an abandoned
property list established as provided in Section 36 of P.L. 1996,
c. 62 (N.J.S.A. 55:19-55), as amended, by Section 28 of P.L. 2003,
c. 210, and provide such notices and carry out such other tasks as
are required to effectuate an abandoned property list as provided
by law.
B.
The Building Department will be responsible to collect the registration
fee and maintain the registration list and collect monthly reports.
C.
The Tax Collector shall send the mortgage holder of record a notice
requiring the property to be registered along with the tax notice
once the property taxes become delinquent.
The abandoned property list shall apply to the Township of Saddle
Brook as a whole.
A.
The Construction Code Official, for the purpose of carrying out the
responsibilities established by this chapter, shall have all the responsibilities
and powers provided by law and shall exercise the authority granted
the public officer of a municipality pursuant to P.L. 1996, c. 62
(N.J.S.A. 55:19-20 et seq.).
B.
Fines are to be recovered from the owner or by lien. If the maintenance
requirements are not adhered to, the Township can take action to remedy
the problem and bill or impose liens for the cost resulting from those
actions.
C.
Any fines shall be established by the Construction Code Official
and shall be no less than $250 and no more than $1,000.
