Assemblywoman to introduce bill to combat neglected housing

TRENTON » Assemblywoman Verlina ReynoldsJackson plans to introduce legislation in the fall that would help municipalities combat abandoned or neglected properties by expanding personal liability.

The bill would allow courts to hold members of a limited liability company or corporation personally liable for certain charges, in addition to holding the commercial entity responsible for violations of the law.

“Trenton and many other cities have the exact same problem with residential properties left unkempt, neglected or abandoned and their landlords are either inaccessible or hiding behind a limited liability corporation,” Reynolds-Jackson (D-Mercer, Hunterdon) said in a written statement. “Urban communities such as Trenton and Newark have too many LLCs listed as owners of vacant and abandoned properties. And in many cases, information on these controlling entities including a registered agent is unavailable.”

Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora believes the bill can help the capital city rid neighborhoods of abandoned houses.

“This bill is critical to giving municipalities, and specifically our urban centers, the tools they need to combat negligent property owners,” Gusciora said. “These landlords constantly hide behind a corporate shell to avoid maintaining their land.”

The bill would require property owners to provide personal information so municipal officials could contact them whenever needed.

“All information on the owners and parties responsible for the care of a property should be made available to towns,” Reynolds-Jackson said. “A name and address of a registered agent for the LLC would be required just as we do for other property owners.”

A similar bill was introduced in the Senate earlier this year.