Newark Council Takes Aim At Illegal Construction With New Ordinances

NEWARK, NJ — The Newark City Council recently passed two local ordinances that create or increase penalties involving illegal construction.

The new ordinances were passed at the council meeting on Jan. 10 (watch video below).

“We can no longer allow the blatant affront on our community without stiff standards in place to ensure proper development and construction,” said the ordinances’ sponsor, Patrick Council.

According to Council, here’s what the new ordinances will do:

HEAVIER FINES – “The first ordinance increases fines for multiple violations. This includes a jump from $500 to $1,000 for failure to comply with city code, $500 to $1,500 for false or misleading statements on forms and applications, and $250 to $1,000 penalty for any person who refuses entry or access to an inspector who is lawfully authorized to inspect property.”

STOP WORK ORDERS – “The second ordinance specifically targets those that illegally convert homes and apartments. It mentions that the City of Newark now has the right to board up the property and charge the owner for the costs, once a stop work order has been issued and ignored. There will be a $1,000 fine per day, if workers are found to be violating the stop work order. There is also an emphasis on resident safety. Once a stop work order is violated, the new ordinance requires owners to be responsible for refunding any rent or security paid, providing temporary housing until new and sufficient housing is found, and covering moving costs of any tenant living in an illegally converted space.”

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