The following terms, wherever used herein or referred to in
this chapter, shall have the respective meanings assigned to them
unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context. Defined
terms, whether in singular or plural form, shall mean and refer to
both the singular and plural form of the term.
ACCESSORY STRUCTURE
Any building, structure, fixture, or equipment, no matter
its size, whether or not it is portable or removable, and whether
or not it is temporarily or permanently installed into the ground
or onto the main building of the property, that is on the same lot
as and subordinate to and under the same ownership or control as and
used for a purpose customarily incidental to the use of the main building.
DETERIORATION
The condition or appearance of a building or structure or
accessory structure, or part thereof, characterized by holes, breaks,
rot, crumbling, cracking, peeling, rusting or other evidence of physical
decay or neglect, lack of maintenance or excessive use.
EXTERIOR OF THE PROPERTY
Those portions of a building or structure or accessory structure
which are exposed to public view and the open space of any property
outside of any building or structure or accessory structure erected
thereon.
HAZARD
The existence on a property, structure, or accessory structure
of any of the following items, conditions, or circumstances:
A.
Loose and overhanging objects, including, without limitation,
accumulations of ice or snow, or other similar conditions which by
reason of their location above ground level constitute a hazard to
persons in the vicinity thereof.
B.
Ground surface hazards, including, without limitation, holes,
excavations, breaks, projections and obstructions, which constitute
a hazard to persons on the property or the public right-of-way.
C.
Inadequate foundation walls, piers and columns. Foundation walls,
piers, columns or similar load-bearing components shall be kept structurally
sound, free from defects and damage, and capable of bearing loads
safely.
D.
Unsafe exterior facilities, structures, or accessory structures,
or portions thereof, including, without limitation, garages, sheds,
gazebos, play structures, pools, spas, decks, porches, elevated patios,
landings, balconies, stairs and fire escapes, all of which shall be
kept structurally sound and in good repair and shall be provided with
bannisters or railings properly designed and maintained.
E.
Broken or boarded-up windows or doors; loose or missing shingles
or siding; holes in any structure or accessory structure that allow
in light, air, and/or weather.
F.
Malfunctioning, nonworking, disconnected, and/or dangerous utilities
and/or utility connections; malfunctioning, nonworking, disconnected,
and/or dangerous exterior equipment, fixtures, appliances, and/or
devices, including those with malfunctioning, nonworking, disconnected,
exposed, and/or dangerous utility connections.
GARBAGE
Solid waste, recyclable materials, yard and vegetative waste,
food waste, industrial waste, compost, ashes, street cleanings, litter,
refuse, rubbish, junk, parts, scrap metals; damaged, inoperable, or
discarded appliances, equipment, fixtures, furniture, furnishings,
machinery, tools, toys, vehicles, or any parts thereof of the foregoing;
damaged, inoperable, or discarded athletic, play, or recreational
equipment; damaged, demolished, or discarded building materials; discarded
soils, mulch, and other bulk materials; any putrescible waste, including
animal excrement and dead animals, or parts thereof, and that which
may result from the handling, preparation, cooking and consumption
of food.
INFESTATION
The presence of insects, flies, rodents, vermin, pests, birds,
animals, and/or invasive species on the property which constitute
a health, safety, and/or environmental hazard.
JUNK VEHICLE
Any vehicle which is determined to be without currently valid
license plates or is in a wrecked, discarded, dismantled, inoperative
or abandoned condition.
NUISANCE
The existence on a property, structure, or accessory structure
of any of the following items, conditions, or circumstances:
A.
Any public nuisance known in common law or in equity jurisprudence
or as provided by the statutes of the State of New Jersey or the ordinances
of the Borough of Wood-Ridge.
B.
Any attractive nuisance which may prove detrimental to the health
or safety of the general public, and children in particular, whether
on the property of a building or upon the unoccupied lot. This includes
but is not limited to abandoned wells, shafts, excavations, tools,
machinery, building materials, debris, garbage, motor vehicles, and
appliances, including refrigerators as well as any structurally unsound
structures, fences, walls, play structures, and/or athletic equipment.
C.
Physical conditions dangerous to human life or detrimental to
the health of persons on or near the property where the conditions
exist.
D.
Causing, creating or maintaining unsanitary conditions or any
conditions which render air, food, property or drink detrimental to
the health of human beings.
E.
Any matter, thing, condition or act which is or may become an
annoyance or interfere with the comfort or general well-being of the
inhabitants of this Borough.
F.
Accumulation, collection and/or storage, regardless if temporary,
in the exterior of properties, structures and/or grounds of any items
or quantities not ordinary and customary to said exterior of properties,
structures and/or grounds, including but not limited to auto or machinery
parts, tools, toys, play or athletic equipment, appliances, furniture,
construction materials, recyclable materials and/or bulk materials,
including but not limited to soil, sand, mulch, gravel, compost, etc.
G.
Firewood which is either:
(1)
Not stacked in an orderly fashion;
(3)
Attracting and/or harboring animals, vermin, rodents, bees,
termites and/or flies.
H.
Garbage that is either:
(1)
Not properly contained and stored in covered receptacles to
prevent odors, infestation by insects or animals, or spread or escape
from the property caused by weather conditions; or
(2)
In a quantity or condition not customary to the permitted use
and occupancy of the property; or
(3)
Stored on a property for a period longer than seven days; or
(4)
Not eligible for curbside disposal via the Borough's curbside
solid waste, recycling, and yard waste collection program.
I.
Containers, receptacles, or bags of any kind used for storage,
garbage, or any other purpose that are:
(1)
Stored in the front yard; or
(2)
Emitting foul odors or vapors; or
(3)
Damaged, broken, or not properly covered in such a manner so
as to be likely to attract, collect, or harbor rainwater, bugs, flies,
bees, mosquitos, rodents, vermin, birds, and/or other animals.
J.
Trailers of any kind, with or without valid license plates,
including those containing any motorized vehicle or tool, including
but not limited to construction equipment, landscaping equipment,
boats, jet-skis, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, etc., which are
parked or stored in the exterior of properties, structures and/or
grounds.
K.
Junk vehicles, campers, recreational vehicles, watercraft, aircraft
and/or construction equipment, with or without valid license plates
and/or registration, regardless of condition or operability, which
are parked or stored in the exterior of properties, structures and/or
grounds.
L.
Unsightly conditions, including but not limited to graffiti,
vandalism, litter, debris, illegal dumping, and displays containing
obscene or vulgar images or words, etc.
M.
Outdoor display, storage, or use of furniture, appliances, fixtures,
decorations, athletic equipment, and/or play structures that are broken,
damaged, inoperable, abandoned and/or not ordinary and customary to
the property's approved use.
N.
Swimming pools, hot tubs, and spas that are abandoned, unmaintained,
or improperly maintained, whether covered or uncovered and whether
containing water or empty, in such a manner as to cause a potential
for attracting and harboring flies, insects, bugs, mosquitos, rodents,
vermin, birds, and other animals, and/or for emitting foul odors or
vapors, and/or for creating a health, safety, and/or environmental
hazard.
O.
Grass, weeds and/or vegetation that has either:
(1)
Attained a height greater than six inches on average;
(2)
Grown in a manner so that it blocks, covers or obscures, completely
or partially, sidewalks, curbs and/or streets; or
(3)
After being cut, trimmed or removed is discarded onto sidewalks,
curbs, public rights-of-way and/or public property.
P.
The presence on any property of the following: ragweed, poison
ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, algae, mold, or other noxious or poisonous
weeds, vegetation, or growths; tent caterpillars, spotted lantern
flies, or other loathsome, obnoxious, dangerous, or invasive insects
or species; vermin, rodents, stray animals, or nondomestic animals,
including feral cats; brush, weeds, stumps, roots, overgrown grass,
vegetation, plants, and/or vines, or other obnoxious growth; filth,
garbage, trash, or debris; trees, plants, and shrubs, and/or the limbs,
branches, and other growth thereof, that are dead, dying, dangerous,
falling, or invasive; and trees, shrubs, plants, brush, weeds, grass
or other vegetation or growth that are harboring insects, flies, rodents,
vermin, and any dangerous or invasive species.
OPERATOR
Any person, or persons, who occupies, for any duration of
time, or who otherwise has charge, care, actual possession, or control
of a property or structure, or part thereof, including a tenant, subtenant,
lessee or sublessee, or an employee of the owner, tenant, subtenant,
lessee, or sublessee, and whether with or without the knowledge and
consent of the owner, tenant, subtenant, lessee, or sublessee.
OWNER
Any person who, alone or jointly or severally with others,
shall have legal or equitable title to any property, with or without
accompanying actual possession thereof, or shall have charge, care
or control of any dwelling or dwelling unit, as owner or agent of
the owner, or as managing member or principal executive officer of
a business entity owning said property, or as a fiduciary, including
but not limited to executor, executrix, administrator, administratrix,
trustee, receiver or guardian of the estate or as a mortgagee in possession,
regardless of how such possession was obtained. Any person who is
a lessee subletting or reassigning any part or all of any property
shall be deemed to be a co-owner with the lessor and shall have joint
responsibility over the portion of the property sublet or assigned
by said lease.
PROPERTY
A lot, plot, or parcel of land, including the ground, underground,
and any structures thereon or therein, if any.
STRUCTURE
Any object or thing, including any building, regardless of
its size, use, or purpose, that is constructed and/or installed and
permanently affixed in, on, or under the ground or upon another structure
or accessory structure of a property. For purposes of this chapter,
all references to "building," "dwelling," "facility," "structure,"
and/or "accessory structure" shall mean "structure."
UTILITIES
Drainage, storm sewer, sanitary sewer, heating systems, air-conditioning
systems, ventilation or filtration systems, pumps, generators, hot
water heaters, water, natural gas, bottled propane, heating oil, solar
panels, electric, communications, telephone, cable television, internet,
antennas, satellite dishes, etc.