NJ A4557

Municipalities must annually inventory all abandoned properties and maintain a registry including tax block/lot numbers, street addresses, owners, and rehabilitation efforts, then submit this registry to the Division of Local Government Services.

The Division of Local Government Services must publish a searchable statewide database of all abandoned properties on its website, searchable by municipality and owner type (financial institutions, municipalities, private residents, etc.).

Property owners must document rehabilitation efforts quarterly in response to municipal notices; failure to respond within 30 days, incomplete responses, or inaccurate information allows the municipality to hold a special tax sale on the property.

Municipalities that fail to comply with abandoned property registry and notification requirements will be ineligible to receive Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief Aid, Consolidated Municipal Property Tax Relief Aid, and Transitional Aid to Localities.

Municipalities may impose annual fees on abandoned property owners to cover registry and notification costs, with unpaid fees constituting liens collectible as property taxes.