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Senate Bill 4081
click here to view the Local Finance Notice associated with the Bill

Signed on December 21st, Senate Bill 4081 instituted the following immediate measures for residential customers of local government water, sewer, and electric service:  
  1. Extending until March 15, 2022 the shutoff moratorium for water, sewer, and municipal electric service. This moratorium does not apply to a shut off needed to prevent or reduce the risk to public health or safety.
  2. Extending the grace period for water and municipal electric charges until March 15, 2022.
  3. A grace period has been instituted for the unpaid balance of any sewer charges until March 15, 2022. Delinquent sewer charges that were sold at tax sale by January 1, 2022 are not affected. Please note that interest and penalties, including the year-end penalty, cannot be enforced on the unpaid balance.
  4. An installment plan must be offered to satisfy the unpaid balance of any water, sewer, and electric charges accrued between March 9, 2020 and March 15, 2022. Delinquent sewer charges accruing between March 9, 2020 and December 31, 2021 that had been sold at tax sale by January 1, 2022 are not affected.
         a. The installment plan shall have a minimum 12 month duration unless the residential customer requests a shorter payback period, and cannot require the residential customer to pay a down payment, deposit, or reconnection costs. The maximum duration of an
    installment plan remains five (5) years pursuant to N.J.S.A. 54:5-19.
         b. An installment plan cannot require the payment of interest or penalties on the unpaid balance. 
         c. Notwithstanding N.J.S.A. 54:5-19, an installment plan must be offered even if one already exists on the property for property taxes, assessments or other municipal charges.
         d. If a residential customer does not agree to an installment plan within 30 days of being offered a plan by the municipality or local authority, appropriate enforcement action can be taken after March 15, 2022, including bringing to tax sale the unpaid
    balance accruing between March 9, 2020 and December 31, 2021. Please note that interest and penalties, including the year-end penalty, cannot be enforced on the unpaid balance.
  5. After March 15, 2022, delinquent water, sewer, and electric charges that had accrued prior to March 9, 2020 and after March 15, 2022 can be enforced pursuant to law including interest and penalties. A municipality or local authority is not obligated to offer an installment plan for such accrued charges. 


*The term residential customer means a residential customer of record of a local authority or municipal utility, or any residential tenant of a residence where the owner or any agent or other representative of the owner of the residence is a non-residential customer of record.

 

 

 

Township of Ocean Sewerage Authority

224 Roosevelt Avenue

Oakhurst, New Jersey 07755-1591

Natalie Chesko, EIT, Acting Executive Director

Phone: (732) 531-2213

     Fax: (732) 531-7304