Boro mulls amnesty for lack of permits

Would be residents’ one shot at excusal from fines

BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer

MILLTOWN — Residents who have done work on their homes without obtaining permitsmay be able to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

The Borough Council has plans in the works for an amnesty program that will allow those who neglected to get proper building permits to come forward without being fined, as well as have the work inspected to ensure its safety, according to council President Randy Farkas.

“Through the years, people do work on their homes … and for various reasons they don’t get proper permits,” Farkas said. “We’re looking at this solely as a safety and qualityof life issue for our residents.”

According to Farkas, the issue is not one that is unique to Milltown. In all towns, there are residents or builders who fail to obtain permits from the town’s construction department before doing work like erecting a fence, finishing a basement, or putting up a shed or deck, among other projects, he said.

Borough Zoning Official Mike Marcinczyk said it is oftentimes a matter of residents unknowingly violating the permit ordinance, because they are not aware that certain jobs require them.

“It’s my understanding that some other towns are doing similar programs with a good degree of success,” Farkas said.

Marlboro Township is one nearby municipality doing an amnesty program for building permits. Having offered such a program in 2006, the town is again extending the offer to its residents.

Borough officials’ main objective is to identify these projects, inspect them, and make sure they have been done in a way that adheres to borough regulations and is safe, Farkas said.

“Essentially, it’s to make everything right and holy, and to ensure things are done in a way that’s safe,” Marcinczyk said.

Citing fences as one example of a potentially unsafe project, he said if they are installed in a way that affects traffic sightlines, it can result in a dangerous situation. Such a scenario illustrates that the lack of a proper inspection can affect not only the household without a permit, but also other residents.

Another issue raised by projects lacking permits arises when residents are selling their homes. Especially in the current economic climate, some are opting to sell their homes and move because of increased costs of living, Farkas said.

“An astute buyer would ask to see the permits,” Farkas said.

If sellers do not have permits to show for work conducted, it is likely to deter a buyer for fear of improper or shoddy workmanship.

“Once you buy the house, you also buy the violations,” Marcinczyk said.

The council discussed the idea for the amnesty program on Oct. 14. Though the proposal received support from all council members present, Farkas said some had questions about its details. One concern was how far back in time the amnesty would extend. The council will revisit that topic during its next agenda meeting, and then vote on the resolution.

“We just need to kind of fine-tune and make sure we cover all our bases,” Farkas said. While those who did not abide by the ordinance in the past can find relief, residents who embark on projects without permits in the future should not assume they will be exempt from borough fines. Penalties for such offenses can be as high as $2,000.

“There’s never any guarantee that the amnesty will be given again,” Farkas said.

Marcinczyk said he presented the program to the council as something that would be a one-time offer to residents.