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What are the penalties for renting an apartment without having a certificate of occupancy & renting a dwelling illegally?
Anonymous2 views2 answers
I have a 2 family house. I rented two dwellings to two different families. The dwellings were not inspected and I do not have a certificate of occupancy. The inspector came to the house one day and found my brother living in the basement(not supposed to live there) since i am overseas. he takes care of the house while im away. the inspector took pictures of the house house. then i received a few tickets in the mail not not having a certificate of occupancy and for renting dwellings illegally(they were like 7 tickets altogether in total). i have to go to court very soon. what are the penalties for not having a certificate of occupancy and renting a dwelling illegally? what i can do/say in my defense? any profesional answers, explanations, etc would be greatly appreciated.
The penalties imposed by Fairview will probably run between 300 to 600 dollars plus costs. Your bigger problem is the relocation allowence under NJ law. Tenant may get the equivalent of 6 months rent.
There really is no defense for your actions. The penalties will be determined by the Fairview Municipal Court. This is the time for you to be honest, contrite and willing to admit your wrongdoing.
I assume that the subject house is a legal two-family. You should retain the services of a local attorney, attempt to obtain an adjournment of the trial date and make immediate application for a CO for each of the two apartments. If you are able to obtain the Certificates of Occupancy for each of the two apartments before your court hearing, you may fare better by showing present compliance. Your brother cannot reside in the basement.
You most definitely need an attorney. Best of luck.
