- Borough Hall: 198 N. Washington Ave., Bergenfield, NJ 07621
Department Address & Hours
Code Enforcement Bureau
Address
Municipal Building, 198 N. Washington Avenue, Bergenfield, NJ 07621
Additional Info
2nd Floor, Room 223
Hours
Monday - Friday 8:30AM to 4:30PM
Quick Links
About Department
As we continue to do routine inspections of property, we have become aware that most residents simply do not know the Borough of Bergenfield Ordinances related to property maintenance. With that in mind, we have put together a list of the most common violations. Hopefully, this will help our residents as they continue to maintain their property.
- Parking vehicles on lawns or non-driveway areas is prohibited by Borough Ordinance #06-2376, section 186-49V.
- Parking of unregistered/unlicensed vehicles are prohibited by Borough Ordinance 05-2360 section 302.8.
- Grass, weeds, or plant growth shall not exceed 8 inches in height. Bushes, shrubbery, and hedges shall be neatly trimmed and maintained as per Borough Ordinance 05-2360 section 302.4.
- All shrubbery or trees obstructing the line of sight to oncoming cars at an intersection are required to be cut back to a height not to exceed 30 inches in height from the top of the sidewalk, or removed within 10 feet of any street and 25 feet from any corner. Bushes or hedges shall not block any portion of a sidewalk. Trees shall be maintained at a height of no less than 14 feet 6 inches overhanging a sidewalk area, as per Borough Ordinance #2114, Chapter 291-4.
- All exterior properties shall be maintained in a clean, safe, and sanitary condition, as per Borough Ordinance 05-2360 section 302.1.
- All premises shall be graded and maintained to prevent the erosion of soil and accumulation of stagnant water thereon, or within any structure, as per Borough Ordinance 05-2360 section 302.2.
- Sidewalks, walkways, stairs, steps, walls, driveways, parking spaces, and similar areas shall be maintained in a proper state of repair, free from hazardous conditions. Sidewalks that are lifting are the responsibility of the home owner, as per Borough Ordinance 05-2360 section 302.3.
- All accessory structures, including detached garages, fences, and walls shall be maintained structurally sound and in good repair, as per Borough Ordinance 05-2360 section 302.7.
- Roof drains, gutters, and downspouts shall be maintained in a good repair and free from obstruction. Roof water shall not be discharged in a manner that creates a public nuisance, as per Borough Ordinance 05-2360 section 304.7.
- All exterior property and premises, and the interior of every structure, shall be free from any accumulation of rubbish and garbage, as per Borough Ordinance 05-2360 section 307.1.
- Every occupant of a structure shall dispose of all rubbish in a clean and sanitary manner by placing such rubbish in an approved container, as per Borough Ordinance 05-2360 section 307.2.2
- Refrigerators and similar equipment not in operation shall not be abandoned or stored on premises. The doors must be removed and put out for DPW pickup on your scheduled bulk day as per Borough Ordinance 05-2360 section 307.2.2.
As Always, please call our Department with any questions or concerns.
Deals with non-owner occupied single family homes and all two family home registration plus handling various complaints (illegal housing, cars parking on lawns, property maintenance etc.). You may call the office directly. You can download a complaint form or Housing Registration form from this website, fill them out, and return them to the Code Enforcement Bureau.
Illegal Housing
To date, a number of illegal apartments have been forced to reconvert back to their former uses. While there is no bounty paid for tips, there is still a financial benefit. Remember, the cost is a substantial amount which continues to rise each year to educate an illegal student in our school system to say nothing of the additional burden on all other Borough services. Tips are allowed to be anonymous so please do not hesitate to call.
⚠︎ Please do not park any vehicle on the lawn
You will be in direct violation of Bergenfield Borough Ordinance #186-49.V.
The parking of vehicles on lawns or non-driveway areas is expressly prohibited on residential lots.
You will be issued a summons by our Code Enforcement Officer, and a mandatory court date will follow.
As per Ordinance #186-49. T(l) Any resident wishing to widen, alter or construct a driveway must apply to the Building Department for a building permit. The building application must be submitted with a copy of a survey and a sketch, with details of the project and a list of the materials to be used.
No property owner shall maintain a stationary or portable basketball hoop between the curb and the sidewalk or against the curb on the street or grass side overnight, when the road is snow covered, or on refuse collection days or leaf collection days. If and in the event a property owner is found to be in violation of this requirement for a first offense, the property owner shall be notified by posted notice to remove the stationary or portable basketball hoop within five days. Any subsequent offense shall require immediate removal. If said stationary or portable basketball hoop has not been removed, the Borough shall authorize its removal under the appropriate enforcement proceedings of this chapter. As per Borough Ordinance 273-6 C 1
Attention Home Owners!
If you own a two family dwelling or a non-owner occupied single family dwelling, you are required by law to register your property with the Borough of Bergenfield and be subject to inspection of the rental unit only.
The Governing body of Bergenfield had passed an ordinance in 2003 to require the annual registration and inspection of all residential non-owner occupied single family dwellings and all two family dwellings even if owner occupied. The Ordinance also requires the installation of smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers in those units.
The fee for registration and inspection is to insure the safety of all persons living in the home. Registration forms are available in the Code Enforcement Bureau office in the Borough Hall, on this website or by calling (201) 387-4055 ext. 4151.
Following are highlights of the ordinance, for complete information and any questions, please contact the Code Enforcement Bureau.
- Minimum annual registration fee is $ 50.00 per rental unit. The fee will be waived for Senior Citizens and Veterans who qualify. (For the Senior Citizen deduction it is not determined by age;alone but also income amount. To receive the deduction, as a Senior Citizen or Veteran, you had to apply to the Tax Office.)
- Annual registrations will be due no later than February 15th of each calendar year. Updated registrations will be required whenever a change in occupancy occurs during the annual registration period.
- Owners of subject structures must submit to annual inspections for compliance with the ordinance. Additionally, owners must submit to an inspection whenever a change in occupancy occurs.
- Owners not in compliance with this ordinance will be subject to fines.
- NO RENTAL ROOMS ALLOWED.
As a resident if you suspect a potential violation to this Ordinance, please contact the Code Enforcement Bureau. All information will be kept confidential.
You can download the form below under Download Resources.
FAQs
No, parking vehicles on lawns or non-driveway areas is prohibited by Borough Ordinance #06-2376, section 186-49V. All vehicles must be parked in designated driveway areas.
No, parking unregistered or unlicensed vehicles is prohibited by Borough Ordinance 05-2360, section 302.8. All vehicles on your property must be properly registered and licensed.
According to Borough Ordinance 05-2360, section 302.4, grass, weeds, or plant growth on your property must not exceed 8 inches in height. Additionally, bushes, shrubbery, and hedges must be neatly trimmed and maintained.
Yes, Borough Ordinance #2114, Chapter 291-4 requires that all shrubbery or trees obstructing the line of sight at an intersection be cut back to no more than 30 inches in height from the top of the sidewalk, or removed within 10 feet of any street and 25 feet from any corner. Additionally, trees must be maintained at a height of at least 14 feet 6 inches over sidewalks, and bushes or hedges must not block any portion of the sidewalk.
All exterior properties must be maintained in a clean, safe, and sanitary condition as per Borough Ordinance 05-2360, section 302.1.
Yes, as per Borough Ordinance 05-2360, section 302.2, all premises must be graded and maintained to prevent soil erosion and the accumulation of stagnant water on your property or within any structure.
Yes, according to Borough Ordinance 05-2360, section 302.3, sidewalks, walkways, stairs, steps, walls, driveways, parking spaces, and similar areas must be maintained in good repair, free from hazardous conditions. If your sidewalk is lifting, you are responsible for repairs.
Yes, as per Borough Ordinance 05-2360, section 302.7, all accessory structures, including detached garages, fences, and walls, must be structurally sound and in good repair.
Yes, according to Borough Ordinance 05-2360, section 304.7, roof drains, gutters, and downspouts must be maintained in good repair and free from obstruction. Roof water should not be discharged in a way that causes a public nuisance.
As per Borough Ordinance 05-2360, section 307.1, your property must be free from any accumulation of rubbish and garbage. Additionally, every occupant must dispose of rubbish in a clean and sanitary manner by placing it in an approved container, as per section 307.2.2.
No, as per Borough Ordinance 05-2360, section 307.2.2, refrigerators or similar equipment that are not in operation should not be abandoned or stored on your property. If you are disposing of such items, the doors must be removed and placed out for pickup on your scheduled bulk collection day.
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