Sponsored by:
Senator PETER J. BARNES, III
District 18 (Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Permits charging late fee for rental payments due on self-service storage units and authorizes sale of property via website
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning self-storage facilities and supplementing P.L.1983, c.136 (C.2A:44-187 et seq.).
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. In addition to any other remedy available under the “Self-Service Storage Facility Act,” P.L.1983, c.136 (C.2A:44-187 et seq.), a reasonable late fee may be charged and collected by an owner for each month that the occupant’s rental payment for a storage space is in default.
For purposes of this section, a late fee of $20.00 or 20% of the monthly rent, whichever is greater, is reasonable and shall not constitute a penalty.
2. An online publicly accessible auction website is a suitable place for holding the public sale authorized pursuant to subsection g. of section 5 of P.L. 1983, c.136 (C.2A:44-191), so long as the notice and other requirements of that section have been satisfied.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill supplements the “Self-Service Storage Facility Act,” P.L.1983. c.136 (C. 2A:44-187 et seq.), to allow the owner of a self-service storage facility to charge and collect a reasonable late fee for each month that the occupant of a storage space in that facility fails to make timely rental payments.
The bill also authorizes the sale of the personal property contained in a storage space in satisfaction of the owner’s lien for a claim for nonpayment of rental fees by way of an online publicly accessible website, in addition to a public sale held at the self-service storage facility, as currently provided in the law.