Monroe Township (Middlesex County), NJ Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

Chapter 22 of the Monroe Township Code gives a Public Officer the power to police dilapidated and dangerous structures. Under § 22-2, the Public Officer is three members, one of whom is the Building Inspector, appointed for one-year terms by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Township Council, running until December 31 of each year. Section 22-1 defines "building" broadly: any building or structure or part thereof, whether used for human habitation or otherwise, including outhouses and appurtenances.

Section 22-3 names the conditions that make a building unfit: hazards of fire, accident or other calamities; lack of adequate ventilation, light or sanitary facilities; dilapidation; disrepair; structural defects; uncleanliness; or failure to conform to other New Jersey laws or Township ordinances regulating the safety and sanitation of buildings. A case starts when a public authority or at least five Township residents file a petition, or when the Public Officer acts on its own motion. If a preliminary investigation discloses a basis, the owner and parties in interest are served with a complaint and a notice of hearing set not less than 10 days nor more than 30 days after service (§ 22-4). Service is personal or by registered mail. If an owner cannot be found, the complaint is published once each week for two successive weeks, posted on the premises and recorded with the Middlesex County recording officer (§ 22-5). Owners have the right to answer and to appear in person or by attorney (§ 22-6).

After the hearing, a finding of unfitness produces a written order to repair, alter or improve within a reasonable time, or, at the owner's option, to vacate and close the building. A building dangerous to persons on or near the premises that is not fixed in time must be removed or demolished (§ 22-9). If the owner does not comply, the Public Officer can have the work done and can post a placard on the main entrance stating that the building is unfit and that its use or occupation is prohibited and unlawful (§ 22-10). The Public Officer can also have the building removed or demolished (§ 22-11). The costs become a municipal lien filed with the Municipal Tax Assessor (§ 22-12).