[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough Council of the Borough of Florham Park 12-16-1997 by Ord. No. 15-97.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Uniform construction codes — See Ch. 103.
Drainage facilities — See Ch. 113.
Firesafety — See Ch. 134.
Nuisances — See Ch. 159.
Property maintenance — See Ch. 188.
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed former Ch. 94, Buildings, Unfit, adopted 12-16-1969 as Ch. 4, Art. III, of the 1969 Code, as amended.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:
BUILDING
Any building or structure or part thereof used and occupied for human habitation or otherwise, and includes any accessory structure belonging thereto or usually enjoyed therewith.
CONSTRUCTION OR BUILDING OFFICIAL
The public officers who are authorized by this chapter to exercise the powers prescribed by this chapter.
OWNER
The owner or owners in fee of the property or a lesser estate therein, a mortgagee or vendee in possession, an assignee of rents, receiver, executor, trustee, lessee or any other person, firm or corporation, directly or indirectly in control of a building, structure or real property, and shall include any subdivision thereof of the state.
PARTIES IN INTEREST
All individuals, associations and corporations who have interests of record in a building and any who are in actual possession thereof.
PUBLIC AUTHORITY
Any housing authority or any officer who is in charge of any department or branch of the government of the Borough relating to health, fire, building regulations or to other activities concerning buildings in the Borough.
A. 
The building official may determine that a building is unfit or unsafe for human habitation or occupancy or use in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.32 and/or Subsection B of this section.
B. 
For the purposes of this chapter, a building shall be considered unfit or unsafe for human habitation or occupancy or use when it has any one or all of the following defects:
(1) 
Foundation elements insufficient to adequately support the building at all points.
(2) 
Foundations containing holes, cracks, loose bricks, stones or mortar and otherwise in a condition of deterioration so as to not exclude vermin and water.
(3) 
Interior walls or other vertical structural members which list, lean or buckle to such an extent that a plumb line passing through the center of gravity falls outside of the middle third of its base.
(4) 
Exclusive of the foundation, shows 33% or more of damage or deterioration of the supporting member or members or 50% of damage or deterioration of the nonsupporting enclosing or outside walls or covering.
(5) 
Improperly distributed loads upon the floors or roofs or in which the same are overloaded or which have insufficient strength to be reasonably safe for the purpose used.
(6) 
Damage by fire, wind, dilapidation or other causes so as to have become dangerous to life, safety or the general health and welfare of the occupants or the residents of the Borough.
(7) 
Light, air and sanitation facilities which are inadequate to protect the health, safety or general welfare of human beings who live or may live therein.
(8) 
inadequate facilities for egress in case of fire, panic or other calamity.
(9) 
Parts thereof which are so attached that they may fall and injure members of the public or property.
(10) 
It exists in violation of any provision of the Building code, Fire Prevention Code, Plumbing Code, Sanitary Code or other ordinance of the Borough relating to construction and sanitary facilities.
(11) 
It is vacant, unguarded or open at its doors or windows.
The Construction Official, upon advice from the appropriate subcode official, is hereby authorized to exercise such powers as may be necessary or convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes and provisions of this chapter and the provisions of N.J.A.C. 5:23-2 et seq.
Whenever a petition is filed with the Construction Official or Zoning Officer by a public authority or by at least two residents of the Borough charging that any building is unfit for human habitation or occupancy or use, or whenever it appears to the Construction Official, on his own motion, that any building is unfit for human habitation or occupancy or use, the Construction Official shall, if his preliminary investigation discloses a basis for such charges, issue and cause to be served upon the owner of and parties in interest in such building a complaint stating the charges in that respect and containing a notice that a hearing will be held before the building official, or his designated agent, at a place therein fixed in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.3 et seq.
If, after notice and hearing as provided in the preceding section, the Construction Official determines that the building under consideration is unfit for habitation or occupancy or use, he shall state in writing his findings of fact in support of such determination and shall issue and cause to be served upon the owner thereof and parties in interest a notice of unsafe structure describing the building or structure deemed unsafe and specifying the required repairs or improvements to be made to render the building safe and secure, or requiring the unsafe building or structure to be vacated or demolished within a stipulated time.
Complaints or orders issued by the Construction Official pursuant to this chapter shall be served upon persons either personally or by registered mail, but if the whereabouts of such persons is unknown and the name cannot be ascertained by the building official in the exercise of reasonable diligence, and the building official shall make an affidavit to that effect, then the serving of such complaint or order upon such persons may be made by publishing the same once in a newspaper printed and published in the county and circulating in the Borough. A copy of such complaint or order shall be posted in a conspicuous place on premises affected by the complaint or order. A copy of such complaint or order shall be duly recorded or lodged for record with the Clerk of the county. See also N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.32 et seq.
If the owner of the building or structure fails to remediate the structure or building, the Construction Official shall seek compliance using the procedures set forth in N.J,A.C. 5:23-2.32 et seq.
The amount of the cost of the filing of legal papers, expert witnesses' fees, search fees and advertising charges incurred in the course of any proceeding taken under this chapter and by statute determined in favor of the Borough and such cost of such repairs, alterations or improvements or vacating and closing or removal or at demolition, if any, or the amount of the balance thereof remaining after deduction of the sum, if any, realized from the sale of materials derived from such building or from any contract for removal or demolition thereof shall be a lien against the real property upon which such cost was incurred.
Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to abrogate or impair the powers of the courts or of any department of the Borough to enforce any provisions of this code or other ordinances or regulations nor to prevent or to punish violations thereof. The powers conferred by this chapter shall be in addition and supplemental to the powers conferred by any other law or ordinance.