New Jersey Administrative Code
Title 5 - COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
Chapter 11 - RELOCATION ASSISTANCE AND EVICTION
Subchapter 8 - GRANTS-IN-AID
Section 5:11-8.5 - Recovery of relocation assistance costs

(a) Any displacing agency that receives a State grant-in-aid shall, as a condition of the receipt of that grant-in-aid, prosecute in a civil or criminal penalty action any real property owner who is or might be, in the judgment of either the displacing agency or the Department, responsible for any housing or construction code violations that resulted in displacement and consequent eligibility for relocation assistance.

(b) Once there has been a final court adjudication in any civil or criminal penalty action brought under (a) above and paragraph (a) of section 1 of P.L. 1983, c.536 (20:4-4.1) , and once the relocation assistance costs have been determined, the displacing agency shall promptly present a statement of relocation costs, indicating the date by which payment must be made, to the real property owner.

(c) In the event that payment is not made by the real property owner within 10 days of the date on which payment is due, interest on the unpaid balance shall accrue at the annual rate of 18 percent, pursuant to paragraph (b) of section 1 of P.L. 1983, c.536 (20:4-4.1) and the displacing agency shall prepare and file a lien statement pursuant to paragraph (c) of said section 1 of P.L. 1983, c.536. The displacing agency shall assign to the Department an interest in the lien that is equal to the unrepaid amount of the grant-in-aid, plus accrued interest thereon. The displacing agency shall assist the Department, as may be required, in any foreclosure, by the Department, of the lien.

(d) The displacing agency shall pay to the Department, out of any funds recovered by it from the real property owner, a proportion of such recovered funds that is the same as the proportion of the total relocation assistance resulting from code enforcement at that owner's property that was paid by the Department.

(e) In the event that the displacing agency does not elect to bring a civil action to recover relocation assistance costs, pursuant to section 1 of P.L. 1984, c.30 (20:4-4.2) , the displacing agency shall, at the request of the Department, assign its right to recovery of such funds to the Department. In the event of any recovery in any such case, the Department shall repay to the displacing agency a proportion of the recovered funds, exclusive of attorneys' fees and costs, that is the same as the proportion of the relocation assistance that was paid by the displacing agency from its own funds.