Roselle Park Borough, NJ, revises vacant property registration rules, penalties

Roselle Park, NJ: The Borough has passed an amendment revising how vacant property is determined.
 

To be deemed a vacant property, at least two of the following list of items must apply: debris; overgrown vegetation; disconnected utilities; boarded or damaged entry points; being in a secured or winterized state; criminal activity at the property or squatters; deterioration of the property condition; any code violations left unresolved; or other options for the city to determine a state of abandonment.


Property owners will have 31 days to resolve violations, and only 11 days if the violation is a health and safety risk. If the violations are not resolved within that timeframe, a fine of $1,500.00 will be levied per day, per property.


For out of state owners, if it is found an in-state representative has not been appointed and registered with ready contact for the city, a $2,500.00 per day fine will be incurred for each day past that 10-day window for appointment, as allotted in N.J.S.A. 46:10B-51(a)(1).


Seasonally-occupied properties can be exempt, if the city is notified and the
property’s upkeep is maintained, as well as notification and evidence presented to the city of ownership disputes and/or active and ongoing rehabilitation of a property can grant exemption from the vacant status.


Yearly registration is due by Jan. 1, and is accompanied by a $500.00 fee; with a $1,500.00 fee due with registration the following year, $3,000.00 for that third year, and every subsequent year a property is vacant requiring a $5000.00 fee with registration.


Those changes will be implemented Aug. 1, 2017.

 

 

 

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