ASSEMBLY, No. 2290

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED SEPTEMBER 16, 1996

By Assemblywoman CRUZ-PEREZ

An Act imposing criminal liability upon owners of certain residential premises with respect to the consequences of certain housing code violations and supplementing chapter 33 of Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. a. For the purposes of this act, "housing code violation" means any violation of P.L.1966, c.168 (C.2A:42-74 et seq.), P.L.1971, c.224 (C.2A:42-85 et seq.), the "State Uniform Construction Code Act," P.L.1975, c.217 (C.52:27D-119 et seq.), the "Uniform Fire Safety Act," P.L.1983, c.383 (C.52:27D-192 et seq.), the "Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law," P.L.1967, c.76 (C.55:13A-1 et seq.) or the "Rooming and Boarding House Act of 1979," P.L.1979, c.496 (C.55:13B-1 et al.) or any regulations duly promulgated pursuant to any of those acts.

    b. An owner of residential rental premises, or the owner of any residential premises who has abandoned such premises, who committed by himself, or through any of his agents or employees engaged in the operation or management of those premises, an act or failure to act which constitutes a housing code violation, and which results in the creation or perpetuation of a condition which endangers the safety or health of the tenants of those premises, or of the general public, or which renders those premises or any portion thereof "substandard" within the meaning of the State Housing Code promulgated pursuant to P.L.1966, c.168, is guilty of a crime of the third degree.

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill would invoke criminal penalties against any owner of rental residential premises who is responsible for the creation or perpetuation of hazardous or substandard conditions in the premises that he controls. The bill would also apply to the owners of residential premises which are not rental premises, if the owner has abandoned the premises.

    When hazardous or substandard conditions arise, or are permitted to continue, because of a violation of any of the applicable statutes and regulations, the owner would be guilty of a crime of the third degree.

Makes owner of certain residential premises criminally liable for consequences of certain housing violations.