West Orange City Zoning Code

Any tenant who receives a notice of eviction pursuant to section 3 of P.L. 1974, c. 49 (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.2) that results from zoning enforcement activity for an illegal occupancy, as set forth in paragraph (3) of subsection g of section 2 of P.L. 1974, c. 49 (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.10), shall be considered a displaced person and shall be entitled to relocation assistance in an amount equal to six times the monthly rental paid by the displaced person. The owner-landlord of the structure shall be liable for the payment of relocation assistance pursuant to this section.

In addition to the liability for the payment of relocation assistance set forth in paragraph a of this section, the Municipal Court may impose an additional fine for a zoning code violation for an illegal occupancy, up to an amount equal to six times the monthly rental paid by the displaced person, to be paid to the municipality by the owner-landlord of the structure.

In addition to the penalties set forth above in paragraphs a and b of this section, for a second or subsequent violation for an illegal occupancy, and only after affording the offending owner-landlord an opportunity for a hearing on the matter, the Municipal Court may impose on the owner-landlord a fine equal to the annual tuition cost of any resident of the illegally occupied unit attending a public school, which fine shall be recovered in a civil action by a summary proceeding in the name of the municipality pursuant to "the penalty enforcement law," N.J.S.A. 2A:58-10 through 12. The tuition cost shall be determined in the manner prescribed for nonresident pupils pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:38-19, and the payment of the fine shall be remitted to the appropriate school district. The Municipal Court and the Superior Court shall have jurisdiction of proceedings for the enforcement of the penalty provided by this section.

For the purposes of this section, the owner-landlord of a structure shall exclude mortgagees in possession of a structure through foreclosure. Also for the purposes of this section, a "second or subsequent violation for an illegal occupancy" shall be limited to those violations that are new and are a result of distinct and separate zoning enforcement activities, and shall not include any continuing violations for which citations are issued by a zoning enforcement agent during the time period required for summary dispossession proceedings to conclude if the owner has initiated eviction proceedings in a court of proper jurisdiction.