A-4384/S-2760 provides that certain covered buildings, which are limited to condominiums and cooperatives, and plans be inspected and reviewed by a structural inspector during the building’s pre-construction, construction, and post-construction phases.
Under the bill, a certificate of occupancy is not to be issued until the structural inspector’s report confirms that the construction of the primary load-bearing system of the building is in conformance with the approved construction plans. Further, a certificate of occupancy is not to be issued if the construction permit applicant does not state at the time of application, or prior to the first occupancy creating a condominium or cooperative, that the building is to be a condominium or cooperative until the required inspections have occurred.
Similarly, this bill precludes the issuance of a certificate of occupancy until any necessary repairs, renovations, alterations, or modifications to the structural components of a covered building are made pursuant to the inspector’s report.
Under the bill, certain timelines for inspections are dependent on when a certificate of occupancy was issued. Any additional costs to the enforcing agency incurred as a result of any required inspections are to be recovered through a fee associated with the construction application.
The League supports this legislation as it would create a set of safety parameters on construction and buildings to help prevent catastrophic events like the tragedy in Surfside, Florida, where a 12-story condominium building collapsed, killing 98 people.
The bill now awaits Governor Murphy’s action.
Contact: Frank Marshall, Esq., Associate General Counsel, fmarshall@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x137.