Piscataway, NJ Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Condemnation authority
- Code official finds unsafe/unfit/unlawful (PM-108.1)
- Board of Appeals hearing
- 7 to 30 days after notice (PM-108.3a)
- Appeal window
- 5 days, $50 fee (PM-111.1)
- Condemned-placard occupancy fine
- $250 to $2,000 (PM-106.2)
- Demolition costs
- Become a lien on the property (PM-110.3)
Summary
Piscataway's code official can condemn any structure found unsafe, unfit for human occupancy, or unlawful under Property Maintenance Code § PM-108.1. An unsafe structure is one so damaged, decayed, or dilapidated that partial or complete collapse is likely, and the Board of Appeals can order it repaired, vacated, or, if the owner fails to act, removed or demolished at the owner's cost.
SECTION PM-108.0 UNSAFE STRUCTURES AND EQUIPMENT. PM-108.1 General: When a structure or equipment is found by the code official to be unsafe, or when a structure is found unfit for human occupancy, or is found unlawful, such structure shall be condemned pursuant to the provisions of this code. PM-108.1.1 Unsafe structure: An unsafe structure is one that is found to be dangerous to the life, health, property or safety of the public or the occupants of the structure by not providing minimum safeguards to protect or warn occupants in the event of fire, or because such structure contains unsafe equipment or is so damaged, decayed, dilapidated, structurally unsafe, or of such faulty construction or unstable foundation, that partial or complete collapse is likely.
Full Breakdown
Section PM-108.1.1 defines an unsafe structure as one dangerous to life, health, property, or safety because it lacks fire safeguards, contains unsafe equipment, or is so damaged, decayed, dilapidated, or unstable that collapse is likely, while § PM-108.1.3 covers structures unfit for human occupancy due to disrepair, vermin infestation, filth, or lack of ventilation or heat, and § PM-108.1.4 covers unlawful structures occupied by more people than permitted or altered contrary to law. A vacant, unsafe structure can be posted with a condemnation placard and ordered closed under § PM-108.2.
Before any final order, § PM-108.3a requires a complaint-style notice and a hearing before the three-member Board of Appeals, held not less than 7 nor more than 30 days after service, where the owner may answer and testify. Following the hearing, § PM-108.3b lets the Board order repair, alteration, or improvement within a reasonable time, or let the owner choose to vacate and close the building, and if the owner still fails to act on a dangerous structure, the code official can order removal or demolition.
Any person aggrieved may petition for appeal within 5 days of a notice and pay a $50 fee under § PM-111.1, and the Board of Appeals itself consists of three Township residents serving two-year terms under § PM-111.2.
Violations & Fines
Occupying or operating equipment on a premises bearing a 'Condemned' placard is unlawful under § PM-108.5, subject to the § PM-106.2 fine of $250 to $2,000 or up to 90 days. If an owner ignores a repair, vacate, or demolition order, the Township can perform the work itself and place a municipal lien for the full cost, collectible in the same manner as unpaid property taxes, under §§ PM-108.3b and PM-110.3.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides if a Piscataway building is unsafe?
What can the Township order for an unsafe building?
Who pays if the Township has to demolish the building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Piscataway
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