Cherry Hill's Property Maintenance: The Rules That Matter
Every city handles property maintenance a little differently. In Cherry Hill, New Jersey, there are 3 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.
Snow & Sidewalk Clearing
Cherry Hill Township gives property owners 48 hours after snow or ice stops falling to clear sidewalks, driveways and parking areas, or to salt or sand ice too frozen to remove. A first-offense fine is $100, higher than the Code's usual $50 affidavit option.
Key details: Governing section: § 15-16.12, Snow and Ice. Removal deadline: 48 hours after snow/ice stops. First-offense fine: $100 (no court appearance). Standard court fine range: $100 to $1,000. Alternative to removal: Salt, sand, ashes or ice-melt.
A first snow-and-ice offense can be settled for $100 without a mandatory court appearance under Section 15-10.2(a); this is higher than the $50 affidavit fine allowed for most other Chapter 15 violations. Continued or repeat violations draw the standard $100 to $1,000 fine and up to 90 days imprisonment under Section 15-10.2(c), each day a separate offense.
Vacant Lot Maintenance
Cherry Hill Township caps weeds and plant growth on any property, vacant or occupied, at 10 inches and requires owners of vacant or undeveloped land to keep a maintained strip at least 10 feet from the right-of-way. First offenses can be settled for $50; repeat violations run up to $500.
Key details: Weed height limit: 10 inches. Vacant land maintained strip: 10 feet from right-of-way. First-offense fine: $50. Repeat-offense fine range: $100 to $500. Governing sections: § 15-16.4 and § 15-15.3.
First offense under Section 15-16.4 can be resolved with a $50 guilty-by-affidavit fine; second and later offenses require a Municipal Court appearance and carry a fine of $100 to $500, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. Uncorrected removal work can also be performed by the Township under Section 15-62 and billed as a lien.
Property Blight
Cherry Hill Township lets the Property Maintenance Inspector condemn and placard any structure found unsafe, unfit for human occupancy or unlawful, and can order it repaired, closed or demolished at the owner's expense with the cost liened against the property.
Key details: Core section: § 15-22, Unsafe Structures and Equipment. Dangerous-building procedure: § 15-56, under N.J.S.A. 40:48-2.5. Enforcing officer: Property Maintenance Inspector / Construction Official. Cost recovery: Municipal lien on the property. Demolition trigger: Vacant construction over 2 years, § 15-23.
Occupying or operating placarded premises or equipment violates Section 15-22.5 and is subject to Chapter 15 penalties. Failure to comply with a repair or demolition order under Section 15-56 lets the Township perform the work and charge all costs, including legal and expert fees, as a municipal lien on the property under Section 15-56.6.
This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Cherry Hill actively enforces its property blight requirements.
The Bottom Line
Cherry Hill's property maintenance rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Cherry Hill is broadly strict or permissive.
These rules come from Cherry Hill's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.