Conference/Public Meeting Agenda/Documents — Packet

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY Township Code Sections 14-8.1 and 14-8.2, among others, comprise a portion of the Township’s Property Maintenance Code. These sections set forth certain minimum exterior maintenance standards for residential and non-residential properties in the Township. There have been delays in the abatement of violations for overgrown grass at properties which are abandoned, but still pending the foreclosure process. While secured parties are obligated to maintain these abandoned properties pursuant to N.J.S.A. 46:10B-51(b), often these secured parties fail to appear in the Municipal Court on their scheduled court date. Thus, neighbors of these properties and entire neighborhoods suffer from grass, ice or snow conditions which violate the Township’s Property Maintenance Code, and which may exist for months before a property owner, operator or secured party ever takes action to abate the condition. This legislation would allow the Township’s Department of Public Works, or an appropriate third-party vendor authorized by the Director of the Department of Public Works, to take action to abate grass, snow or ice conditions which violate Township Code §14-8.1(a)(3), §14-8.1(b), §14-8.2(a)(2) or §14-8.2(b)(1). Such action by the Department of Public Works or the approved third-party vendor would be permitted only after three (3) days’ notice of the violation, posted at the property. The purpose of this legislation is to ensure that the Township may take swift action to abate Property Maintenance Code violations relating to grass, ice and snow, so as to promote the good residential character of its neighborhoods and promote the health, safety and welfare of Township residents. The legislation would reduce frustration among neighbors and neighborhoods which bear the burden of an owner or operator’s choice not to properly maintain a property. This proposed legislation comes at limited cost to the Township, which would be entitled to obtain a first-priority municipal lien for any costs incurred for taking action to service the property. Authority for this proposed Ordinance is derived from N.J.S.A. 40:48-1, which authorizes the governing body of every municipality in the State of New Jersey to “make, amend, repeal