Bill Text: NJ A1550 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Exempts senior homeowners from municipal building permit fees.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-10 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Housing and Local Government Committee [A1550 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A1550-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
215th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2012 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JOHN S. WISNIEWSKI
District 19 (Middlesex)
Assemblyman WAYNE P. DEANGELO
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblyman CRAIG J. COUGHLIN
District 19 (Middlesex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Prieto
SYNOPSIS
Exempts senior homeowners from municipal building permit fees.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel
An Act concerning exemptions from building permit fees for senior citizens and supplementing P.L.1975, c.217 (C.52:27D-119 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Notwithstanding the provisions of the "State Uniform Construction Code Act," P.L.1975, c.217 (C.52:27D-119 et seq.), or any rules, regulations, or standards adopted to the contrary, the governing body of any municipality which has appointed an enforcing agency pursuant to the provisions of section 8 of P.L.1975, c.217 (C.52:27D-126) may provide, by ordinance, that a senior citizen, age 65 or older, who is an eligible claimant, as defined in section 1 of P.L.1997, c.348 (C.54:4-8.67), may apply for a waiver from payment of any construction permit surcharge fee or enforcing agency fee for any construction, reconstruction, alteration, or improvement undertaken to repair or maintain a dwelling unit that is owned and occupied as a primary residence by the senior citizen, except for any construction, reconstruction, alteration, or improvement undertaken solely to increase the square footage of the dwelling unit.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would permit municipalities to enact an ordinance to exempt any senior citizen who is eligible to receive a homestead property tax reimbursement under P.L.1997, c.348 (C.54:4-8.67 et seq.) from all municipal building permit fees for any repairing or maintaining, through an improvement, the primary residence that he or she owns and occupies.
Under current law, it is within the discretion of a municipality to grant a building permit fee exemption for certain improvements intended to make public or private facilities more accessible to persons with physical disabilities. This bill would allow municipalities to exempt homeowners age 65 or older who are eligible for the homestead property tax reimbursement provided by P.L.1997, c.348, commonly known as the "senior freeze," from building permit fees for those permits which are limited to the repair or maintenance of a dwelling unit which is the primary residence of the senior citizen. This bill would not permit a fee waiver for improvements intended only to increase the square footage of the dwelling unit where construction is being performed. It is the understanding of the committee that this legislation shall not apply to new construction.
The intent of this bill is to provide municipalities with an additional tool to encourage older New Jersey residents to remain in their communities and to continue to maintain their properties. The cost of the permit fee exemption is intended to be offset by the fees paid by other, non-exempt permit applicants.
