CAI-NJ Sept 2020

Legislative Efforts to Restrict Debt Collection Efforts

By Thomas C. Martin, Esq., Member, Legislation Action Committee Price, Meese, Shulman & D’Arminio, P.C.

T hree recent bills are pending in the New Jersey Legislature to restrict efforts to enforce a judgment or collect on a debt. These bills have the potential to impact every community association which is working to enforce the maintenance fee obligations found in its governing documents. The Legislative Action Committee of the New Jersey chapter of the Community Associations Institute (NJ-LAC) is working with the Legislature to seek protections for our members. These bills can be found on the website for the New Jersey Legislature: www.njleg.state.nj.us S2330 and A3908 apply to efforts to enforce a Judgment against an “affected person,” which is a “resident” of New Jersey who “has suffered a loss of income as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.” These bills, which have not been enacted into law, are designed to apply from the March 9, 2020 date of Governor Murphy’s Public Health Emergency Executive Order through either 90 days after the end of the Public Health Emergency or December 1, 2020, whichever is sooner. Wehopeyouandyour familiesaredoingwell during theseextraordinarily unusual times.

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