[Adopted 7-16-2013 by Ord. No. O-13-29]
[Amended 12-20-2022 by Ord. O-22-28]
As used in application of this article for which any property, vacant or abandoned, that any municipal ordinance applies, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
ABANDONED PROPERTY
Property determined to be "abandoned property" in accordance with the meaning of such term in the Abandoned Properties Rehabilitation Act, N.J.S.A. 55:19-78 et seq., shall also be deemed to be vacant property. Each block and lot shall be a separate property.
CREDITOR
A mortgagee or an agent or assignee of a mortgagee, such as the servicer, who has filed a complaint in the Superior Court seeking to foreclose upon a residential or commercial mortgage. If the entity seeking to foreclose upon the residential or commercial mortgage changes as a result of an assignment, transfer, or otherwise after the filing of the foreclosure complaint in the Superior Court, the new entity shall be deemed the creditor for purposes of this section. For purposes of this article, a creditor shall not include the state, a political subdivision of the state, a state, county, or local government entity, or their agent or assignee, such as the servicer.
OWNER
Includes the title holder, any agent of the title holder having authority to act with respect to a vacant property, any foreclosing entity subject to the provisions of Public Law 2008, Chapter 127, Section 17 (N.J.S.A. 46:10B-51), or Section 2 of P.L. 2021, c. 444 (N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.12s2), any debtor in possession of the property, lienholder or mortgage holder, or any other entity determined by the Township to have authority to act with respect to the property.
REGISTRANT
Any person or entity who files a registration statement in accordance with this article shall be also known as a "registrant."
STRUCTURE
Any construction, production, or piece of work artificially built up or composed of parts purposefully joined together.
VACANT PROPERTY
Any residential or commercial structure that meets the following criteria shall be deemed vacant:
A. 
If it is not legally occupied by an owner, a mortgagor or tenant, which is in such condition that it cannot legally be reoccupied because of the presence or a finding of at least two of the following:
(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 or abandoned;
(9) 
Windows or entrances to the property that are boarded up or closed off, or multiple windowpanes 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.
B. 
Each block and lot shall be considered a separate property.
[Amended 12-20-2022 by Ord. O-22-28]
A. 
The owner of any vacant property as defined herein shall, within 30 days after the structure becomes vacant property or within 30 days after assuming ownership of the vacant property, or within 10 calendar days after receipt of notice from the Township, whichever is earlier, file a registration statement for each such vacant property on forms or manner provided by the Township for such purposes. The registration shall remain valid for 12 months from the date of registration. The registrant shall be required to renew the registration every year as long as the structure remains vacant property and shall pay a registration or renewal fee in the amount prescribed herein for each vacant property registered. The vacant property registration shall run with the land from the date the property is first determined to be vacant by the municipality.
B. 
Any owner of any structure that meets the definition of "vacant property" prior to the effective date of this article shall file a registration statement for that property in accord with Subsection A.
C. 
The registrant shall notify the Code Enforcement Office within 10 days of any change in the registration information, including but not limited to change in ownership, by filing an amended registration statement on a form provided by the Code Enforcement Office for such purposes.
D. 
The registration statement shall be deemed prima facie proof of the statements therein contained in any administrative enforcement proceeding or court proceeding instituted by the Township against the owner or owners of the structure.
E. 
Any owner of vacant property who intends to restore the property to occupancy following the initial registration shall file a detailed plan for restoration, returning the property to a habitable condition, on a form issued by the Code Enforcement Office, together with an amended registration statement.
(1) 
During the restoration period, the owner shall be exempt for a period of 12 months from payment of the vacant property registration fee(s), as long as the property is being actively restored, but shall comply with all other laws, regulations and municipal ordinances. Exception will terminate if the restoration activity ceases.
(2) 
In the event the property has not been approved for occupancy at the end of the twelve-month period, the owner shall be liable for any fees waived. The Fire Chief or his/her designee may extend the waiver of the registration fee for not more than one additional twelve-month period in response to a written request, prior to the expiration of the initial twelve-month period, by the property owner where the Fire Chief or his/her designee finds compelling conditions existed outside the owner's control which inhibited the owner from restoring the property within the initial twelve-month period.
A. 
After filing a registration statement or a renewal of a registration statement, the owner or registrant of any vacant property shall provide access to the Township to conduct an exterior and interior inspection of the structure to determine compliance with the Municipal Code, following reasonable notice, during the period covered by the initial registration or any subsequent renewal.
[Amended 12-20-2022 by Ord. O-22-28]
B. 
The registration statement shall include the name, street address and telephone number of a natural person 21 years of age or older, designated by the owner or owners as the authorized agent for receiving notices of code violations and for receiving process, in any court proceeding or administrative enforcement proceeding, on behalf of such owner or owners in connection with the enforcement of any applicable code. This person must maintain an office in the State of New Jersey or reside within the State of New Jersey. The statement shall also include the name of the person responsible for maintaining and securing the property, if different.
C. 
An owner who is a natural person and who meets the requirements of this article as to location of residence or office may designate himself or herself as agent.
D. 
By designating an authorized agent under the provisions of this section, the owner consents to receive any and all notices of code violations concerning the registered vacant property and all process in any court proceeding or administrative enforcement proceeding brought to enforce code provisions concerning the registered structure by service of the notice or process on the authorized agent. Any owner who has designated an authorized agent under the provisions of this section shall be deemed to consent to the continuation of the agent's designation for the purposes of this section until the owner notifies the Code Enforcement Office of a change of authorized agent or until the owner files a new annual registration statement. The designation of an authorized agent in no way releases the owner from any requirement of this article.
[Amended 12-20-2022 by Ord. O-22-28]
[Amended 12-20-2022 by Ord. O-22-28]
The registrant shall pay $2,000 per property annually if the property is vacant or abandoned pursuant to the definition in this article. This vacant property registration fee is separate and distinct from any fee owed because the property is in foreclosure.
[Amended 12-20-2022 by Ord. O-22-28]
The registrant of any vacant property, and/or any person or entity maintaining, operating or collecting rent for any such structure that has become vacant, shall, within 30 days from vacancy:
A. 
Secure the structure against unauthorized entry for the pendency of vacancy.
B. 
Post a sign affixed to the structure indicating the name, address and telephone number of the owner, the owner's authorized agent for the purpose of service of process and the person responsible for day-to-day supervision and management of the structure, if such person is different from the owner holding title or the authorized agent. The sign shall be of a size and placed in such a location so as to be legible from the nearest public street or sidewalk, whichever is nearer, but shall be no smaller than 18 inches by 24 inches; and the sign shall remain in place for the pendency of vacancy.
C. 
Maintain the vacant property for the entire period of vacancy in accordance with all applicable local and state property maintenance codes, ordinances or regulations, building codes, health codes and fire codes pertaining to the exterior condition and appearance of the structure, the safety and structural integrity of the structure, the outdoor portion of the property, the condition and safety of accessory structures on the property, and any conditions on the property which constitute a hazard or adversely affect the health and safety of persons who may have contact with the vacant property.
D. 
Promptly repair all broken windows, doors and other openings and unsafe conditions. Boarding up of open and broken windows and doors is prohibited, except as a temporary measure for no longer than 45 consecutive days, which period may be extended at the discretion of the Fire Chief or his/her designee. Boards or coverings must be installed and painted in accordance with Township specifications.
E. 
Acquire and otherwise maintain liability insurance by procuring a vacancy policy, covering any damage to any person or any property caused by any physical condition of the property while registered with the property registration program, in an amount of not less than $1,000,000 for any unit or structure, including, but not limited to, residential or structures designed for manufacturing, industrial, storage or commercial uses, covering any damage to any person or any property caused by any physical condition of or in the structure. Any insurance policy acquired or renewed after the structure has become vacant shall provide for written notice to the Fire Chief or his/her designee within 30 days of any lapse, cancellation or change in coverage. The owner shall attach evidence of the insurance to the registration statement. Any registration statement submitted that does not include such evidence of insurance shall not be deemed to be a valid registration.
[Amended 12-20-2022 by Ord. O-22-28]
The Fire Chief or his/her designee shall issue rules and regulations for the administration of the provisions of this article.
[Amended 12-20-2022 by Ord. O-22-28]
A. 
Any registrant who is not in full compliance with this article or who otherwise violates any provision of this article or of the rules and regulations issued hereunder shall be subject to a fine of not more than $2,000 for each offense. Each day on which a violation of this article exists shall be considered a separate and distinct violation and shall be subject to imposition of a separate penalty for each day of the violation as any court of competent jurisdiction may determine. Fines assessed under this article shall be recoverable from the owner and shall be a lien on the property.
B. 
For purposes of this section, failure to file a registration statement in accordance with § 249-2 above, knowingly providing misleading or incorrect information on the registration statement, or failure to comply with any provisions of this article shall be deemed to be violations of this article.
C. 
Property registration fees imposed pursuant to § 249-1 et seq. of this article shall be considered a municipal charge pursuant to the Tax Sale Law, N.J.S.A. 54:5-1 et seq.
D. 
In any case in which the municipality abates a nuisance, corrects a defect, or puts the premises in a condition so as to comply with the requirements of § 249-1 et seq., any municipal ordinance or state law applicable, the cost thereof shall be certified by the ordering municipal official to the governing body, which shall examine such certificate of cost and, if it finds said certificate to be correct, shall cause such cost to be charged against the real estate. The amount so charged shall thereupon become a lien and tax upon said real estate and be added to and be a part of the taxes next to be levied and assessed thereon, and enforced and collected, with interest, by the same officers and in the same manner as other taxes. The imposition and collection of a penalty by any court for violations of the provisions of § 249-1 et seq. or any ordinance or state law shall not constitute any bar to the right of the Township to collect such assessment of costs, as certified, for the necessity to abate a nuisance, defect or remedy necessary to put the premises in proper condition in the manner herein authorized.
[Amended 12-20-2022 by Ord. O-22-28]
Nothing in this article is intended to or shall be read to prevent the Township from taking action against structures found to be unfit for human habitation or unsafe structures, as provided in applicable provisions of the Code of the Township of Montclair, or imposing a lien for costs on any property to the full extent permitted by law, or pursuing any other remedy provided in law. Further, any action taken under any such code provision, other than the demolition of a structure, shall not relieve an owner from its obligations under this article.