[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Village of Ridgefield Park 8-9-1988 by Ord. No. 17-88; amended in its entirety 2-14-2006 by Ord. No. 06-03 (Ch. 88 of the 1985 Code). Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Zoning — See Ch. 96.
Fire protection — See Ch. 188.
Housing standards — See Ch. 225.
Property maintenance — See Ch. 287.
Illegal apartments — See Ch. 293, Art. I.
A. 
A certificate of compliance shall be required in all changes of occupancy in all residential dwelling units.
B. 
The purpose of the issuance of a certificate of compliance, and the inspection in connection with the issuance of the certificate of compliance, is to determine whether the residential dwelling unit is being legally occupied in accordance with the Zoning Code (Chapter 96), and to ensure that, at a minimum, battery-operated smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are installed and that each kitchen of one- and two-family dwellings contains a proper fire extinguisher.
C. 
The employee designated by the Board of Commissioners of the Village of Ridgefield Park to conduct the certificate of compliance inspection shall work under the supervision of the Construction Official and shall inspect the dwelling only for these specific purposes.
D. 
No person shall occupy or use any building or portion thereof for residential purposes, where the building or portion thereof has been sold by the owner or title to the premises has been transferred to another person, until the owner or an agent for the owner has applied for and secured a certificate of compliance from the Village of Ridgefield Park.
E. 
A certificate of compliance shall not be transferable. If the change of occupancy specified in the application for a certificate of compliance does not occur within six months, a new application, inspection and certificate shall be required.
A. 
Before any dwelling used or intended for use for residential purposes is sold, leased or otherwise made subject to change of occupancy for residential purposes, the owner or owner's agent shall apply, in writing, to the Ridgefield Park Building Department for a certificate of compliance and shall fill out an appropriate form provided by the municipality to assist in obtaining the information so that a certificate of compliance can be expeditiously issued. The application shall be reviewed by the appropriate official within 10 days, and the official shall issue a certificate of compliance by the end of that period. If the official finds that he or she cannot issue a certificate of compliance, then the official shall issue a written statement to the owner or agent for the owner forthwith, setting forth the reasons for the denial, and a copy of the written statement shall be provided to the applicant and a copy immediately forwarded to the Construction Official.
(1) 
In any case where a subject dwelling is subject to the issuance of a certificate of compliance under this chapter, the official shall not issue any such certificate until it has been determined that the structure conforms to §§ 153-5, 153-6 and 153-7 of this chapter.
B. 
Time. The application shall be filed at least 12 days prior to the anticipated date of closing, occurring in the case of resale, by the owner or agent for the owner. Any application filed less than 12 days prior to closing will be charged according to the fee schedule listed in § 153-8 of this chapter.
C. 
No certificate of compliance shall be issued until inspection of the structure indicates compliance with §§ 153-5, 153-6 and 153-7 of this chapter.
D. 
Occupancy without the proper certificates and inspection shall be subject to the penalties contained in § 153-9 of this chapter.
The Board of Commissioners hereby designates the Housing Inspector, who periodically makes the housing inspections in accordance with the New Jersey State Housing Code, as the official to make the inspections under the terms of this chapter. The Housing Inspector will work under the supervision of the Construction Official. The Board of Commissioners shall have the authority to change this designation by resolution, if it desires.
All tax and assessment searches prepared by the Tax Collector of the Village of Ridgefield Park or the assessment search officer shall state that a certificate of compliance is required in connection with the resale of any building or residential unit. Failure to affix such notice shall not constitute a defense for the failure to obtain a certificate of compliance.
A. 
In all dwellings subject to the requirements of § 153-2A of this chapter, smoke detectors shall be installed as follows:
(1) 
On each level of the premises; and
(2) 
Within 10 feet of each and every sleeping area.
B. 
The smoke detectors required in this section shall be located in accordance with the National Fire Protection Agency Standard 74 and the New Jersey Fire Safety Code and shall be maintained in working order at all times.
C. 
Smoke detectors may be battery-powered and shall be listed in accordance with UL 217.
(1) 
AC-powered smoke detectors shall be accepted as meeting the requirements of this subsection.
A. 
The CO alarm is required to be manufactured, listed and labeled in accordance with UL 2034 and NFPA 720. Each device shall have a label indicating that it meets this requirement.
B. 
The device is permitted to be battery-powered, hard-wired or plug-in type.
(1) 
The alarms may be located on the wall, ceiling or other location, as specified in the manufacturer's installation instructions.
(2) 
The alarms are to be installed in the immediate vicinity of all sleeping rooms in residential buildings that contain fuel-burning appliances or have attached garages.
C. 
The alarms and installation of same shall also conform to all other provisions of the New Jersey Fire Safety Code.
The New Jersey State Fire Safety Code requires that a fire extinguisher be installed in the kitchen of all one- and two-family residential units.
A. 
The extinguisher shall be listed, labeled, charged and operable.
B. 
The size shall be no smaller than 2A:10B:C, rated for residential use and weigh no more than 10 pounds.
C. 
The hangers or brackets supplied by the manufacturer must be used.
D. 
The extinguisher must be located within 10 feet of the kitchen.
E. 
The top of the extinguisher shall not be more than five feet above the floor.
A. 
The fee for certificates of compliance shall be payable to the Village of Ridgefield Park as follows:
(1) 
Application submitted a minimum of 12 days prior to the scheduled change of occupancy, in the amount of $75.
(2) 
Application submitted with fewer than 12 days prior to the scheduled change of occupancy, in the amount of $95.
(3) 
Reinspection fee shall be in the amount of $25.
B. 
The above fee shall be paid at the time of submission of the application.
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any of the provisions of this chapter shall be punishable, upon conviction, as provided in Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article II, General Penalty.