Landlords could face liability
for evicted tenants’ expenses
By:Alec Moore
Landlords may become responsible for relocation costs when they allow too many tenants to live in rental properties, if an ordinance introduced by the Borough Council Monday is passed.
The ordinance will give the borough the power to recoup money spent relocating individuals who are illegally occupying houses in town.
Under state law, any individual living in a rented or leased dwelling who is served with an eviction notice as a result of a zoning or code enforcement violation, is entitled to receive up to six-months rent from that municipality.
The ordinance introduced Monday, however, grants Manville the authority to hold the owner of the residence in question liable for relocation assistance expenses, rather than the borough’s taxpayers.
"This is a safety issue," said Councilwoman Susan Asher, who introduced the ordinance. "We don’t want a situation like the one that occurred in Bound Brook to occur in Manville," she said, referring to a house fire in Bound Brook that nearly claimed the lives of 22 people living in a single-family house.
"We need to put this ordinance in place to maintain the safety and welfare of our residents," said Mayor Angelo Corradino, whose sentiments were shared by the council.
"Manville’s citizens shouldn’t be responsible for putting someone up in a hotel," said Councilman Martin Wierzba. "We’ve got some very responsible landlords in town, but we may also have some who aren’t so responsible. Up until now, we would have had to pay (to relocate someone) but now we have the power to make up that cost."
Mr. Wierzba emphasized that landlords should make certain that their tenants sign lease agreements which clearly stipulate the number of occupants who may reside in any one residence.
"We’re not putting this in place to come down on landlords we’re doing this because it’s a safety issue and because we have to look out for our taxpayers," said Mr. Wierzba. "Overcrowding isn’t a huge problem for Manville, but it is something we have to address."
If the ordinance is adopted, the borough plans to establish a relocation assistance fund to cover the costs of relocating individuals who are found to be illegally occupying a residence, until the costs can be recouped from landlords.
The council is looking into how much the borough wants to keep in the fund and through what means the borough will fund it. Enforcement of the new ordinance, once adopted, will rest in the hands of the borough’s code enforcement officers and fire officials.
A public hearing on the ordinance will be held at the council’s next meeting on May 27.

