There is hereby established in the Township
of Readington a State Uniform Construction Code enforcing agency to
be known as "Office of Code Enforcement," consisting of a Construction
Official, Building Subcode Official, Plumbing Subcode Official, Electrical
Subcode Official, Fire Protection Subcode Official and such other
subcode officials for such additional subcodes as the Commissioner
of the Department of Community Affairs, State of New Jersey, shall
hereafter adopt as part of the State Uniform Construction Code. The
Construction Official shall be the chief administrator of the enforcing
agency.
Each official position created in §
96-1 hereof shall be filled by a person qualified for such position pursuant to P.L. 1975, c. 217, as amended, and N.J.A.C. 5:23; provided that in lieu of any particular
subcode official, an on-site inspection agency may be retained by
contract pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:23. More than one such official position
may be held by the same person, provided that such person is qualified
pursuant to P.L. 1975, c. 217, and N.J.A.C. 5:23 to hold each such
position,
The public shall have the right to do business
with the enforcing agency at one office location, except for emergencies
and unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances.
[Added 9-2-1997 by Ord. No. 12-97]
A. Waiver of fees for project or events contracted for
or conducted by the township. Projects or events contracted for or
conducted by the township on township-owned property shall not be
subject to enforcing agency fees in accordance with N.J.S.A. 52:27D-126a
and b and any amendments thereto.
B. Waiver of fees for nonprofit corporations rehabilitating
or constructing housing units. Upon application to the Township Committee,
the Committee shall waive enforcing agency fees for any corporation
which is determined by the Committee to be organized pursuant to the
New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation Act, N.J.S.A. 15A:1-1 et seq., and
actively engaged in constructing or rehabilitating housing units for
occupancy by low- or moderate-income households in conformance with
N.J.S.A. 52:27D-126d and any amendments thereto.
C. Waiver of fees for nonprofit organizations. Charitable,
philanthropic, fraternal and religious nonprofit organizations holding
a tax-exempt status under the Federal Internal Revenue Code of 1954
[16 U.S.C. § 501(c) or (d)] shall not be subject to enforcing
agency fees for events held on township-owned property, provided that:
(1) The organization shall make a request to the Township
Committee to have the fees waived.
(2) The organization shall provide proof of its tax-exempt
status under Section 501(c) or (d) as a nonprofit organization with
its request for the waiver.
D. The Township Committee wishes to establish a program
to reward township emergency service volunteers for their efforts
to preserve and protect the health, welfare and property of the township,
as well as to encourage volunteerism in the township for emergency
services.
[Added 4-3-2000 by Ord. No. 11-2000]
(1) Applicability. The provisions of this subsection shall
apply to any full-time residents of the township who serve as a volunteer
in any qualifying volunteer emergency service organization in the
township. Such volunteer must be certified to be a member in good
standing in his or her respective volunteer emergency service organization.
(2) Definitions. The following words and phrases shall
have the meanings as set forth in this subsection:
MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING
Any current member with at least three years of active emergency
service as defined under the Township's Length of Service Awards Program
(LOSAP).
VOLUNTEER
Any individual who contributes services to a volunteer emergency
service organization without remuneration or without a formal agreement
or contract for hire.
VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY SERVICE ORGANIZATION
Any organization within the township which provides emergency
response service to the township or any portion thereof, such as the
volunteer fire companies and rescue squad.
VOLUNTEER SERVICE
The required percentage of activity, participation or attendance
necessary to qualify as a bona fide member of the voluntary emergency
service organization.
(3) Certain fees waived. All municipal fees or charges,
except fees or charges for services performed by other than township
employees, imposed for the purpose of securing a construction permit
for any construction, reconstruction, alteration or improvement of
any one- or two-family home owned by and in which a qualifying member
in good standing of a volunteer emergency service organization in
the township is a full-time resident shall be waived.
E. Waiver of construction fees for construction to promote accessibility
by handicapped persons.
[Added 7-7-2014 by Ord.
No. 13-2014]
(1) No person
shall be charged a construction permit surcharge fee or enforcing
agency fee for any construction, reconstruction, alteration or improvement
designed and undertaken solely to promote accessibility by disabled
persons to an existing public or private structure or any of the facilities
contained therein.
(2) A disabled
person, or a parent or sibling of a disabled person, shall not be
required to pay any municipal fee or charge in order to secure a construction
permit for any construction, reconstruction, alteration or improvement
which promotes accessibility to his own living unit.
(3) For
the purposes of this subsection, “disabled person” means
a person who has the total and permanent inability to engage in any
substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable
physical or mental impairment, including blindness, and shall include,
but not be limited to, any resident of New Jersey who is disabled
pursuant to the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 416),
or the federal Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. § 231
et seq.) or is rated as having a disability of 60% or higher pursuant
to any federal law administered by the United States Veterans’
Act. For purposes of this subsection, "blindness" means central visual
acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the use of a correcting
lens. An eye which is accompanied by a limitation in the fields of
vision such that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends
an angle no greater than 20° shall be considered as having a central
visual acuity of 20/200 or less.
[Added 10-15-2012 by Ord. No. 22-2012]
A. When required.
(1) A construction records clearance (CRC) shall be required prior to
the sale of any residential or commercial structure. In that event,
there shall be no change in occupancy of a building or structure,
in whole or part, prior to the issuance of a CRC.
(2) Exceptions. The following transactions are exempt from obtaining
a CRC as long as no change in physical occupancy occurs:
(a)
Transfer of title to correct a previously recorded deed.
(b)
Title eligible to be recorded as an ancient deed pursuant to
N.J.S.A. 46:16-7.
(c)
Transfer of title between husband and wife/civil union partners,
whether or not relating to divorce, or other formal severance, or
between former spouses/civil union partners if the transfer is incident
to an order or judgment from any court of competent jurisdiction.
(d)
Transfer of title relating to new construction for which a certificate
of occupancy is required.
(e)
Transfer of title by or to an executor, administrator or court
order which affects a distribution of a decedent's estate in
accordance with the provisions of the decedent's will or the
interstate laws of the state.
(f)
Transfer of title due to refinancing, home equity loans, second
mortgages.
(g)
Transfer of title by or to a receiver, trustee in bankruptcy
or liquidation, or assignee for the benefit of creditors.
(h)
Transfer between a parent and child.
(i)
Transfer releasing a right of reversion.
(j)
Transfer solely to provide a release or security for a debt
or obligation.
B. Responsibility. No owner shall permit the sale of a residential or
commercial premises covered under this section unless the requisite
CRC has been issued. No purchaser or new tenant of the purchaser shall
occupy any premises covered under this section until the requisite
CRC has been issued. Owners and occupants shall be jointly and separately
responsible for failure to obtain the requisite CRC required hereunder.
The owner or his authorized agent shall submit a written application
and payment of fees at least 10 business days prior to the change
of ownership and/or occupancy on the form provided by the Township.
C. Preoccupancy records inspection. Prior to the issuance of any such
certificate for any transaction, the enforcing agency shall conduct
a records inspection to ensure that there are no open construction
permits on subject premises. Should there be open permits on subject
premises, all final inspections and prior approvals shall be obtained
and appropriate Uniform Construction Code certificates shall be issued
prior to issuance of the CRC.
D. Fees. The applicant shall submit with the application fees for the
CRC as follows to cover the administrative cost in accordance with
the following schedule:
(1) One to five business days: $70.
(2) Six to 12 business days: $40.
E. Violations and penalties.
(1) Any person, firm or corporation violating any provisions of this
section shall, upon conviction, be punishable by a fine not exceeding
$1,000, imprisonment for a period not exceeding 90 days and/or a period
of community service not exceeding 90 days.
(2) The issuance of a CRC shall not preclude the imposition of penalties
upon subsequent discovery of violations.
(3) Certificates are valid for six months from the date of issue unless
a change in occupancy has occurred, and must be renewed for each occupancy
change.