40:48-2.12s1 Findings, declarations.
408 words·~2 min read·
/nj/title-40/chapter-48/40-48-2-12s1·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
1. The Legislature finds and declares that:
a. Although New Jersey has made great strides in addressing previous foreclosure crises, foreclosure continues to be an issue confronting residents and municipalities;
b. Properties in foreclosure proceedings can involve properties that are vacant and abandoned or have an increased risk of becoming vacant and abandoned during the foreclosure proceeding;
c. Vacant and abandoned properties in foreclosure create a greater risk of blight and can create a wide range of problems for the communities in which they are located. These problems can include fostering criminal activity, creating public health problems, depressing neighboring property values and reducing revenues for municipalities, and otherwise diminishing the quality of life for residents and business operators in those areas;
d. Because of the increased risk of blight created by properties in foreclosure, it is important that municipalities possess tools to identify such properties, monitor their status, and mitigate the risk that they become vacant and abandoned and, if vacant and abandoned, lead to blight. The costs of identifying, monitoring, and mitigating such risks can adversely impact a municipality's finances;
e. The State has enacted statutes intended to assist municipalities in addressing such risks, including requiring that municipalities receive notice of the initiation of a foreclosure action in court in connection with residential properties and authorizing a public officer in a municipality to take certain action against properties that have been abandoned for more than six months;
f. Although these State laws provide municipalities with certain tools to address blight and the risk of blight, the laws do not apply to all properties, enable municipalities to create a comprehensive way to identify, monitor, and address the risk of blight on all such properties within their jurisdictions, or address the costs to municipalities to do so;
g. A number of municipalities have adopted ordinances on an ad hoc basis to create property registration programs to identify, monitor, and address the risk of blight on residential and commercial properties within their jurisdictions; and
h. The Legislature finds such property registration programs provide a valuable tool to municipalities in confronting the risk of blight created by properties on which foreclosure proceedings have been initiated and such properties that become vacant and abandoned. The Legislature finds that it is in the State's interest for municipalities that operate such programs to do so with certain uniformity as part of the State's overall statutory scheme addressing the risk of blight.
L.2021, c.444, s.1.