[Adopted 10-14-2004 by Ord. No. MC-3994 (Ch. 2 of the 1987
Code)]
An ordinance adopting the provisions of the Abandoned Properties
Rehabilitation Act is adopted as follows.
The public officer designated by the Mayor is hereby directed
to identify abandoned properties within the municipality, place said
properties on an abandoned property list established as provided in
Section 36 of P.L. 1996, c. 62 (N.J.S.A. 55:19-55), as amended by
Section 28 of P.L. 2003, c. 210, and provide such notices and carry
out such other tasks as are required to effectuate an abandoned property
list as provided by law.
The abandoned property list shall apply to the City of Camden
as a whole as set forth below: The public officer shall provide a
report to the Mayor and governing body every six months with respect
to the number and location of properties on the abandoned property
list; the status of those properties; and any actions taken by the
municipality or by any qualified rehabilitation entity designated
pursuant to the authority granted the public officer with respect
to any property on the list or any other abandoned property within
the City of Camden.
[Adopted 11-13-2018 by Ord. No. MC-5156; amended in its entirety 5-10-2022 by Ord. No. MC-5383.]
The above "Whereas" clauses are hereby incorporated into Chapter
615.
Chapter
615 is hereby amended to add the following: "Vacant and Abandoned Properties: Notice, Registration, and Fees." The following sections are hereby incorporated into this amendment.
It is the intent of this Chapter
615 to enable the City of Camden to engage in the identification, registration, monitoring, and mitigation of properties that are or may become vacant and abandoned to the fullest extent permitted by P.L. 2021, c. 444, in order to combat the immeasurable and deleterious effects
of blight arising from residential and commercial properties that
become vacant or abandoned during the foreclosure process.
All words, terms, and phrases used within Chapter
615 shall be defined and interpreted consistent with their meanings as outlined within P.L. 2021, c.444, as may be amended from time to time.
CREDITOR
A state-chartered bank, savings bank, savings-and-loan association
or credit union, any person required to be licensed under the provisions
of the New Jersey Residential Mortgage Lending Act, Sections 1 through
39 of P.L. 2009, c. 53 (N.J.S.A. 17:11C-51 through N.J.S.A. 17:11C-89),
and any entity, agent, or assignee acting on behalf of the creditor
named in the debt obligation, including, but not limited to, servicers,
who has filed a complaint in the Superior court seeking to foreclose
upon a residential or commercial mortgage. A creditor shall not include
the state, a political subdivision of the state, or a state, county,
or local government entity, or their agent or assignee, such as the
servicer.
VACANT AND ABANDONED
A property shall be deemed "vacant and abandoned" for purposes of Chapter
615 if:
A.
The property is not legally occupied by a mortgagor or tenant;
and
B.
The property cannot be legally reoccupied because of at least
two of the following conditions:
(1)
Overgrown or neglected vegetation;
(2)
The accumulation of newspapers, circulars, flyers, or mail on
the property;
(3)
Disconnected gas, electric, or water utility services to the
property;
(4)
The accumulation of hazardous, noxious, or unhealthy substances
or materials on the property;
(5)
The accumulation of junk, litter, trash, or debris on the property;
(6)
The absence of window treatments such as blinds, curtains, or
shutters;
(7)
The absence of furnishings and personal items;
(8)
Statements of neighbors, delivery persons, or government employees
indicating that the property is vacant and abandoned;
(9)
Windows or entrances to the property that are boarded up or
closed off, or multiple window panes that are damaged, broken, and
unrepaired;
(10)
Doors to the property that are smashed through, broken off,
unhinged, or continuously unlocked;
(11)
A risk to the health, safety, or welfare of the public or any
adjoining or adjacent property owners due to acts of vandalism, loitering,
criminal conduct, or the physical destruction or deterioration of
the property;
(12)
An uncorrected violation of a municipal building, housing, or
similar code during the preceding year, or an order by municipal authorities
declaring the property to be unfit for occupancy and to remain vacant
and unoccupied;
(13)
The mortgagee or other authorized party has secured or winterized
the property due to the property being deemed vacant and unprotected
or in danger of freezing;
(14)
A written statement issued by a mortgagor expressing the clear
intent of all mortgagors to abandon the property; or
(15)
Any other reasonable indicia of abandonment.
The fines and penalties established within this Chapter
615 shall be considered cumulative, and not superseding, as a remedy available to the City of Camden in addition to those which may also apply under any other applicable City of Camden ordinances, or other applicable local, county, or state laws or regulations.