Registration Statement for Vacant and Abandoned Property

In accordance with N.J.S.A. 55:19-78 et seq. and Middletown Township Ordinance 2023-3333 (PDF), the owner of a business or vacant and abandoned property located within the Township of Middletown is required to maintain liability insurance for negligent acts and omissions.

Property owners should consult with an insurance professional, as required, to satisfy these new registration requirements. Property owners who fail to comply with these requirements may be subject to a fine of $500 for each vacant property owned and late registration.

The registration fee and requirements are designed to prevent mortgagees from allowing the property to be abandoned, neglected, or left unsupervised. The property statement requirements mandate that property owners in New Jersey be responsible for maintaining and securing the property since vacant, abandoned, and blighted properties can cause a cycle of neighborhood deterioration. The ordinance penalizes owners whose property remains vacant year after year.

By January 1^st of each calendar year, the owner of vacant/abandoned properties shall provide a Certificate of Insurance (COI) to the Township that maintains liability insurance in an amount of no less than $1,000,000 for combined property damage and bodily injury to or death of one or more persons in any one accident or occurrence. The initial registration in the amount of $500 received after October 1^st shall be valid through December 31^st of the next calendar year.

The following document is required. It is a fillable PDF.