Upon completion of any work, which required a permit in accordance
with the rules and regulations of the Uniform Construction Code and
did not require the removal of the residents or tenants from the premises
to complete said work, the owner of said premises or the contractor
completing the work may request a Certificate of Approval from the
Secretary of the Construction Office upon successful completion of
all necessary inspections.
A Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Habitability shall
be requested, processed and issued in the following manner:
A. Application shall be made in writing by the owner or owner's
agent or representative on the prescribed forms to the Township prior
to a change in ownership or occupancy, requesting an inspection by
the Resale Inspector, Code Enforcement Officer, Construction Officials
or designated representative or agency, specifying the premises to
be inspected, the location thereof, the name of the present owner(s)
and tenant(s) and lessee(s) and the number of people who shall occupy
the same.
B. Fees. Refer to Chapter
202, Fees.
C. The requested inspection shall be made within 10 business days of
receipt of a complete application, and an inspection report containing
all existing violations relating to matters of health, sanitation,
maintenance and use of any structure for human occupancy shall be
set forth as separate items by the inspecting official in a written
report which shall be submitted to the person applying for the inspection.
D. All violations shall be corrected prior to any change of ownership
or occupancy and before a Certificate of Occupancy, Certificate of
Continued Occupancy, Certificate of Habitability or Certificate of
Approval can be issued. A Certificate of Occupancy or a Certificate
of Habitability may, however, be issued when responsibility is assumed
through notarized affidavit by the prospective purchaser on the condition
that such violations be corrected within a sixty-day period granted
by the Resale Inspector, Code Enforcement Officer or his/her representative,
except that no extension in excess of 30 days shall be granted, and
except further that the violations involving life, health, safety,
and welfare must be corrected prior to a change in ownership or occupancy.
E. All violations which in the judgment of the Resale Inspector, Code
Enforcement Officer, Construction Officials or his/her representative
pose a positive, clear and serious present or potential threat to
the health, safety or welfare of any present or potential occupant
shall be so designated upon the inspection report, and such violations
must be corrected prior to any change in ownership or occupancy.
F. Reinspections by the Resale Inspector and Code Enforcement Officer or his/her designee may be requested by the person making the original application within 30 days of the date of the inspection report, and a reinspection shall be made within 30 days of the date of the inspection report, or as soon thereafter as the Resale Officer, Code Enforcement Officer or his/her designee can schedule such reinspection in instances where the prospective purchaser has assumed responsibility for correction of violations. Fees for reinspections shall be charged as set forth in Chapter
202.
G. Upon an inspection being rendered without any violation being disclosed,
or upon any disclosed violation being remedied and corrected prior
to reinspection, the Resale Inspector shall issue to the applicant
a Certificate of Occupancy, the Code Enforcement Officer shall issue
to the applicant a Certificate of Habitability, and the Construction
Official shall issue a Continued Certificate of Occupancy, as appropriate
for the subject premises so qualifying, which shall be valid until
the next occurring change in ownership or occupancy or any subsequent
inspection by the Resale Inspector, Code Enforcement Officer, Construction
Officials or his/her representative shall disclose ordinance violations,
whichever occurs first.
H. A Certificate of Approval shall be requested, processed and issued
in the following manner: Application shall be made in writing by the
owner or owner's agent or representative to the Secretary of
the Construction Officer following the successful completion of any
and all inspections by the appropriate Officials/Officers. There shall
be no fee for said Certificate.
Any person affected by a decision rendered by the Resale Inspector
or the Code Enforcement Officer or his/her representative in connection
with the enforcement of this chapter of the Code shall have the right
to a hearing on the same before the Township Committee, provided that
such person shall file a written petition of appeal with the Township
Clerk requesting such a hearing and containing a statement of the
grounds therefor within 10 days of the date of the Code Enforcement
Officer's determination.
The Township shall not, by the performance of inspections and
reinspections required hereby, become or be considered to be a guarantor
to any owner, purchaser, tenant or other person as to the condition
of any building, unit or premises inspected or a participant in any
contractual relationship between any persons or parties as to same.
Refer to Chapter 2, Violations.
It shall be the duty and responsibility of the Resale Inspector
and the Code Enforcement Officer or their designees to enforce the
provisions of this chapter.