[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee (now Council) of the Township of Jefferson 6-17-1957 by Ord. No. 94 (Ch. 124 of the 1967 Code).[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Campgrounds — See Ch. 169.
Flood damage prevention — See Ch. 262.
Sanitary regulations — See Ch. 384.
Zoning — See Ch. 490.
[1]
Editor's Note: This chapter was amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96 to change the title from "Trailers" to "Trailers and Mobile Homes."
[Amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
Whenever used in this chapter, the following words shall have the defined meanings set forth herein:
INDEPENDENT TRAILER or MOBILE HOME
Includes any trailer or mobile home equipped with toilet and shower or bathtub.
OCCUPIED SITE
A parking space in a trailer park or mobile home park on which there is a trailer or mobile home whether such trailer or mobile home is occupied or not.
TRAILER or MOBILE HOME
A vehicle which is or may be used for living or sleeping purposes and is so designed that it is or may be mounted on wheels and used as a conveyance whether through its own or other motive power, excepting, however, such a device used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.
TRAILER PARK or MOBILE HOME PARK
A tract of land designed, maintained or intended for the purpose of supplying a location or accommodation for more than one trailer or mobile home but shall not include lots on which unoccupied trailers or mobile homes may be parked for the purposes of sale.
A. 
Within the limits of the Township of Jefferson, no person, firm or corporation shall conduct, nor carry on hereafter, the business of operating a trailer park or mobile home park, nor shall any such person, firm or corporation occupy, nor, in any direct or indirect manner whatever, utilize any place, premises or property in or upon which is conducted or carried on a trailer park or mobile home park, unless and until the Township Council of the Township of Jefferson shall grant a license in accordance with the terms and provisions of this chapter, to conduct or operate said trailer park or mobile home park for the place, premises or property in which or upon which the same shall be conducted and carried on.
[Amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
B. 
Any person, firm or corporation desiring to conduct or carry on the business of operating a trailer park or mobile home park shall make written application for said license to the Township Clerk who shall refer the application to the Township Council of the Township of Jefferson. The Township Council of the Township of Jefferson shall, after being satisfied that the licensee has qualified in accordance with the terms of this chapter, approve the application and return the same to the Township Clerk who shall then issue the license.
[Amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
C. 
Such application shall set forth the full name and address of the applicant; the full name and address of the owner of the premises upon which the trailer park or mobile home park is to be located; a metes and bounds survey and plot plan locating and detailing all boundaries, structures, trailer or mobile home sites, trailers or mobile homes and other improvements on the site, prepared by a professional engineer or surveyor licensed to practice in New Jersey and bearing his seal and signature; the source of the water supply that will be used for drinking purposes by the occupants of said trailer park or mobile home park; the location of the municipal sewer line, if any, to which the sewerage disposal system of the park will be connected to carry off its sewage; the particular kind, nature or character of the business to be carried on or conducted; and the maximum number of trailers or mobile homes to be accommodated or parked within said trailer park or mobile home park.
[Amended 11-21-1979 by Ord. No. 33-79; 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
D. 
Permit for replacement of trailer or mobile home.
[Added 2-4-1981 by Ord. No. 2-81; amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
(1) 
The Township Clerk shall establish a proper form for use by licensees in obtaining approval for the replacement and/or installation of any trailer or mobile home upon any trailer park or mobile home park site where the said site has previously been depicted by the licensee on a metes and bounds survey and plot plan filed with the Township Clerk in accordance with the provision of § 460-2C. Said form shall be in the nature of an application for a permit to replace the trailer or mobile home shown on the filed map and shall provide the following information:
(a) 
The name of the manufacturer of the unit.
(b) 
The dimensions of the unit.
(c) 
Any change in the distance measurements between the existing trailer or mobile home and any storage structure or any side, back or front site line that will change as a result of the installation of a replacement unit.
(d) 
Identification of the site upon which the change is to be made and the date upon which the change is to take place.
(2) 
There shall be no fee charged by the Clerk for the receipt and processing of this application for permit nor for the issuance of a permit under this section. Where the applicant states that there will be no change in the size of the unit to be installed in relationship to the unit being replaced, the Clerk shall forthwith issue the permit. Where, however, the application depicts a change in the distances that will exist between any storage structure, the side line, back and front site lines upon installation of the new unit from those that previously existed, then the Clerk shall not issue the permit until the changes described are reviewed and approved by the Division of Construction and Housing Inspection and the Department of Health and Welfare. The Division of Construction and Housing Inspection and the Department of Health and Welfare shall have 10 days from the date of the filing of the application with the Clerk to render their determination. Should either Department or Division determine that the variances in distance depicted on the application are in violation of any ordinance of the Township or create a hazard to the health and welfare of the residents of said park, it shall forthwith deny approval and notify the applicant of the same.
(3) 
It shall be the obligation of the applicant upon any approved permit, upon placement of the new unit, to certify to the Clerk, in writing, within 10 days of the establishment of the trailer or mobile home upon the site, that the measurements set forth in the application for permit are, as related to the replacement trailer or mobile home unit in its fixed position, accurate. Should the measurements be different in any respect from those set forth in the application, then the applicant shall certify to the Clerk that fact and enclose therewith a diagram depicting any difference in the measurements from those set forth in the application.
(4) 
The Clerk shall forward the certification or statement of variance in measurements submitted by the applicant to the Department of Health and Welfare and to the Division of Construction and Housing Inspection for their further review and action, if required. Upon final approval of the "as-placed" replacement unit by the Department of Health and Welfare and the Division of Construction and Housing Inspection, the Clerk shall forthwith forward the application form and certification letters of the applicant to the Office of the Tax Assessor.
E. 
Each application shall be accompanied with a deposit to cover the license fee for the current year in the amount hereinafter provided.
F. 
License fees.
[Amended 8-2-1971 by Ord. No. 15-71]
(1) 
The license fees for trailer parks or mobile home parks are established as follows:
[Amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
(a) 
An annual charge of $250 shall be paid by each licensee for the period from January 1 through December 31 of each year.
(b) 
A monthly charge of $10 for each occupied site in the licensed trailer park or mobile home park, which sum shall be payable to the Township Clerk on or before the fifth day of the following month. If any such site shall be occupied for less than the calendar month, the monthly charge therefor shall be determined by multiplying the number of days of occupancy by $0.333.
(c) 
Notwithstanding the above license fee, in the event any mobile home park qualifies as an age-restricted park, either under state or federal law, and receives proper certification that it is an age-restricted park, which requires the leasing of any sites in the park to tenants who have at least one occupant 55 years or older and restricts, pursuant to law, the occupancy of any units by children, the monthly charge for each occupied site shall be $5 instead of $10, provided that the savings of $5 is directly passed on to the tenants in the reduction of the monthly rental.
[Added 12-17-2003 by Ord. No. 42-03]
(2) 
The above-stated fees are hereby expressly declared to be imposed for revenue purposes.
G. 
Where the application is for premises upon which the required facilities have not as yet been constructed, the granting of the license shall be upon the condition that the construction of the camp follows the plans and specifications filed with the licensed application.
H. 
Before any license is issued, the premises shall be inspected by at least one member of the Township Council and by the Chief of Police and the Health Officer of the Township of Jefferson and the Fire Bureau.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).
I. 
Applicants for licenses must comply with all other ordinances or valid rules and regulations of the Township Council or the Division of Health of the Township of Jefferson before a license will be issued.
A. 
All trailer parks or mobile home parks must be located on a tract which provides a minimum of 600 square feet of space per trailer or mobile home site, and the trailer or mobile home sites shall be arranged in rows facing on a driveway not less than 20 feet in width, which driveway shall have unobstructed access to a public street, and no trailer or mobile home shall be located within 50 feet of the edge of the public street or within 20 feet of any adjoining property.
[Amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
B. 
Every trailer or mobile home camp shall be located on a well drained area, and the premises shall be properly graded so as to prevent the accumulation of stormwater or other waters.
[Amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
C. 
An adequate supply of pure water furnished through a pipe distribution system for drinking and domestic purposes shall be maintained on every trailer park or mobile home park site, and no common drinking vessel shall be permitted.
[Amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
D. 
Every trailer or mobile home camp shall have erected thereon at a distance not greater than 200 feet from the site it is designed to serve, a suitable building for housing toilets, showers and laundry facilities as required by this chapter. In said building, there shall be located separate toilet rooms for each sex and there shall be provided at least one toilet for each sex for every five trailer or mobile home sites. Toilet rooms shall contain lavatories with hot and cold water and shall be separately enclosed from the remainder of facilities in the service building. Separate enclosed bathing facilities for each sex with showers shall be provided on the same ratio and the bathing compartment shall contain a dressing room of at least 12 square feet. Bathing compartment shall be separate from toilet facilities.
[Amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
E. 
Floors of toilets, shower and laundry shall be of concrete, tile or other material impervious to water and shall be pitched to a floor drain. Such rooms shall be cleaned at least once daily when trailer or mobile home camp sites are occupied and shall generally be kept in a clean and sanitary condition at all times.
[Amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
F. 
Any trailer park or mobile home park owner who provides satisfactory proof of the Township Council of the Township of Jefferson that he accommodates or receives for accommodation only independent trailers or mobile homes, then the provisions of Subsections D and E of this section will be waived insofar as he is concerned, provided there is a septic tank disposal for all sewage or waste water of an adequate size to provide for the facilities of the independent trailers or mobile homes in accordance with the requirements of Township ordinances.
[Amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
G. 
The method of waste and garbage disposal shall be adequate to take care of the proposed camp sites and must provide septic tank disposal for all sewage or waste water of a size adequate to provide for the facilities and the number of camp sites proposed. Every trailer park or mobile home park site shall be provided with a substantial fly-tight metal garbage disposal from which the contents shall be removed twice weekly by the licensee or his agents and disposed of according to the method and plan of waste and garbage disposal.
[Amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
H. 
Each trailer park or mobile home park shall provide an electric service outlet for each trailer park or mobile home park site and shall also provide illumination of the entire trailer park or mobile home park which will keep the driveways in said trailer park or mobile home park clearly illuminated during the period from one hour after sunset until dawn.
[Amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
I. 
On December 1 of each year after a license is originally issued, the licensee shall file application for renewal. In the event at any time a licensee enlarges the area licensed or changes the facilities available at his camp, he shall first make application for permission to do so, furnishing revised plans or specifications where necessary. The Township Council may prescribe forms for original or renewal application.
J. 
In every trailer park or mobile home park, there shall be an office which shall be attended at all times. The license issued in pursuance of this chapter shall be posted therein and the trailer park or mobile home park register shall be kept in said office.
[Amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
K. 
It is hereby made the duty of the attendant or person in charge, as well as the licensee, to keep at all times a register of all guests showing their names and addresses, marital status and the license numbers of all automobiles and trailers or mobile homes, including the state of registration.
[Amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
L. 
The park shall be maintained in a clean, orderly and sanitary condition at all times.
M. 
It shall be unlawful to permit dogs, cats or other animals or pets to run at large in the park or elsewhere.
N. 
(Reserved)[2]
[2]
Editor’s Note: Former Subsection N, regarding the availability of fire extinguishers for use by occupants, was repealed 4-11-2012 by Ord. No. 7-12.
O. 
All licensed trailer parks or mobile home parks shall at all times comply with all proper police and fire regulations imposed by the Township ordinance.
[Amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
P. 
No person, firm or corporation owning any trailer or mobile home shall locate, park, keep or maintain said trailer or mobile home upon any lot or tract of land within the Township of Jefferson except upon a trailer park or mobile home park conducted, maintained and licensed in full and complete compliance with all of the provisions of this chapter and any other ordinance applicable to trailer parks or mobile home parks. Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit the locating, parking, keeping or maintaining, upon any lot or tract of land in the Township of Jefferson, of any camper trailer or mobile home within an enclosed garage or of one camper trailer or mobile home or one construction trailer not so enclosed; provided, however, that the following terms and conditions are complied with:
[Added 6-29-1959 by Ord. No. 113; amended 4-1-1968 by Ord. No. 227; 8-5-1968 by Ord. No. 234; 11-13-1978 by Ord. No. 17-78; 6-13-1977 by Ord. No. 13-77; 11-2-1988 by Ord. No. 22-1988; 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
(1) 
Under no circumstances shall any such trailer or mobile home be used for dwelling purposes, human habitation or occupancy of any kind or nature, nor shall the same be connected to any water source, septic or sewer, electric or other utility.
(a) 
Notwithstanding the above, a construction trailer actually used in conjunction with construction upon a construction site may be occupied during regular business hours and may be used for the sole purpose of supervision on a construction site. A construction trailer may be connected to utilities, provided that any utility connection is approved by the Township Construction Official and/or the Township Department of Health and Welfare, when necessary. Nothing herein shall be construed to permit the occupancy of a construction trailer, as defined herein, to be occupied for dwelling purposes or for purposes other than supervision of a construction site.
[Amended 2-16-2005 by Ord. No. 4-05]
(2) 
No trailer or mobile home shall be parked in the front yard. Where possible, trailers or mobile homes shall be parked in the rear yards. The term "rear yard" is defined in § 490-5 of the Code of the Township of Jefferson. The Land Use Board, upon proper request from the Construction Official, shall have the authority to determine when it is not possible to park said trailer or mobile home in the rear yard. No trailer or mobile home shall be parked within five feet of any property line.
[Amended 2-16-2005 by Ord. No. 4-05; 12-18-2019 by Ord. No. 19-28]
(3) 
Trailers used in connection with construction shall receive permission to park from the Construction Official, who shall have reasonable discretion to regulate the place of parking, use, location and length of stay. In no event shall any construction trailer be left on any site more than 15 days after construction is completed.
[Amended 2-16-2005 by Ord. No. 4-05]
(4) 
No camper trailers or mobile homes are to be parked in the street or roadway from sunset to sunrise.
(5) 
Any provision of this chapter notwithstanding, a trailer or mobile home may be parked, placed or located off the street for a period of 48 hours while engaged in the process of loading or unloading.
(6) 
Before a camper trailer or mobile home is parked on a lot, a plot plan showing the location, screening, location of existing dwellings, lot lines, relationship to adjacent properties and any dwellings thereon shall be filed with the Construction Official. No plot plan shall be required for the storage of a trailer or mobile home in an enclosed garage. The plot plan may be drawn by the applicant, provided that the same is reasonably accurate and legible so as to allow the Construction Official to enforce this chapter. Where the plot plan is inadequate, the Construction Official may require the applicant to redraw and resubmit same.
[Amended 2-16-2005 by Ord. No. 4-05]
(7) 
The plot plan shall be accompanied by a fee of $5. Said fee shall entitle the applicant, upon approval of said application, to park said trailer or mobile home. Said permit shall be deemed to apply to the particular trailer or mobile home for which it is issued, and any change of trailer or mobile home shall require a new permit. The Construction Official shall have authority, after five days' written notice of violation to the applicant, which notice shall be mailed to the applicant's last known address, to revoke said permit for failure to comply with any of the terms of this chapter. The fee required herein shall not apply to a camper trailer or mobile home located or parked within an enclosed garage.
[Amended 2-16-2005 by Ord. No. 4-05]
(8) 
No camper trailer or mobile home shall be parked, placed, kept or maintained on any lot or tract other than the lot upon which the principal residence of the actual owner of the trailer or mobile home is located.
(9) 
No camper trailer or mobile home used in conjunction with a summer residence shall be parked, placed, stored or kept, other than in an enclosed garage, upon such premises at any time when said premises are not being occupied.
(10) 
Any camper trailer park or mobile home parked or stored in accordance with the terms of this chapter must:
(a) 
Be currently licensed for use upon the highways of this state or firmly mounted or readily capable of being firmly mounted upon a vehicle so licensed.
(b) 
Comply with any and all provisions of N.J.S.A. 39:1-1 et seq., relating to trailers or mobile homes.
(c) 
Be kept and maintained in current repair and be kept painted and free from rust.
(11) 
All collapsible trailers shall be stored or parked in a collapsed condition.
(a) 
As used in this section, the term "camper trailer" shall mean and be limited to a vehicle or structure designed for mounting upon a vehicle, primarily designed as a family camping or travel facility and commonly known as a "travel trailer," a "truck-mounted camper" or a "collapsible camping trailer," which shall not exceed 28 feet in length and eight feet in width or 10 feet in height.
[1] 
A "travel trailer" is defined as a fixed-form trailer which is pulled either by car or by truck, not supplying its mode of power.
[2] 
A "truck-mounted trailer" is defined as a self-contained unit which is, or may be, mounted upon a pickup truck.
[3] 
A "collapsible camping trailer" is a trailer, collapsible in nature, designed to be trailed behind another vehicle.
(b) 
No camper trailer shall be parked so as to obstruct the sunlight of any abutting house or to obstruct the view of any abutting house or traffic.
[1]
Editor's Note: See also § 384-5, Camps and trailer camps; heat.
[Added 6-29-1959 by Ord. No. 113; amended 11-11-1986 by Ord. No. 17-86; 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
No trailer park or mobile home park or parks, in addition to those already licensed and in operation, shall be permitted within the Township of Jefferson unless a trailer park or mobile home park is permitted pursuant to the zoning ordinances of the Township of Jefferson.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See Ch. 490, Zoning.
A. 
After notice and hearing, the Township Council may revoke or suspend the license of any licensee who shall violate the provisions of this chapter or who shall refuse to permit the inspection of a trailer park or mobile home park by the Police Department or the Department of Health and Welfare of the Township of Jefferson upon request made for such inspection, and the premises licensed hereby shall be open to such inspection at all times.
[Amended 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
B. 
Any person who violates any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a fine not exceeding $200 or imprisonment not exceeding 90 days, or both, and each day that such violation exists shall constitute a separate offense and be punishable by such fine or imprisonment, or both. The fine so provided shall not prevent the imposition of revocation or suspension in accordance with Subsection A of this section.
[Added 10-16-1996 by Ord. No. 17-96]
A. 
Establishment and membership. There is hereby established in the Township of Jefferson a Mobile Home Tenants Advisory Board consisting of five citizens of the Township of Jefferson who are residents of the mobile home parks within the Township. The Board shall also consist of one Council member. The citizen members and Council member shall be appointed by the Township Council for a one-year term; however, the initial appointment shall not expire until December 31, 1997. In addition to the membership as aforementioned, the Mayor or the Administrator, if designated by the Mayor, shall be a member of the Board. The Board shall elect a Chairman from its members who shall be one of the citizen members.
B. 
Purpose. The purpose of the Mobile Home Tenants Advisory Board shall be to advise the Township Council and Administration on issues particularly affecting occupants of the mobile home parks within Jefferson Township, including but not limited to the services provided by said mobile home parks and the rentals and other fees which may be charged by the mobile home parks. The Advisory Board is authorized and encouraged to meet with the owners of the mobile home parks to discuss any problems or proposals that might arise with reference to the improvement of the mobile home parks for the tenants.
C. 
Meetings. Meetings shall be held as needed and may be called by the Chairperson, the Mayor or as may be directed by the Township Council.