2A:50-71 Inducing tenant to vacate property prohibited.

3. a. No person, or the person's agent or employee, who has filed a complaint in an action to foreclose a mortgage on a residential property, as described in section 2 of P.L.2009, c.296 (C.2A:50-70), or who takes title to a residential property as a result of a sheriff's sale or other transaction following the filing of a complaint in an action to foreclose a mortgage on the property shall make any communication to induce the tenant to vacate the property except through a bona fide monetary offer, which shall be made in accordance with the provisions of subsections d. and e. of section 2 of P.L.2009, c.296 (C.2A:50-70). A tenant shall have five business days from the date of receipt of any bona fide monetary offer to vacate the property in order to accept or reject the offer. An acceptance of an offer by a tenant shall be in writing, and include an affirmative acknowledgement of the date of receipt of the offer, and an understanding that the tenant had a five-day review period as required by this subsection to accept or reject the offer presented.

b. No person, or the person's agent or employee, who has filed a complaint in an action to foreclose a mortgage on a residential property, as described in section 2 of P.L.2009, c.296 (C.2A:50-70), or who takes title to a residential property as a result of a sheriff's sale or other transaction following the filing of a complaint in an action to foreclose a mortgage on the property shall, during the pendency of the foreclosure proceeding or within one year of the transfer of title following such proceeding, take any action placing pressure on a tenant to accept any offer to vacate the property, including, but not limited to:

(1) Mischaracterizing or misrepresenting the rights of the tenant under the Anti-Eviction Act, P.L.1974, c.49 (C.2A:18-61.1 et seq.), or any other State law or municipal ordinance;

(2) Implying the tenant is obligated to accept an offer or implying consequences against the tenant for failing to accept an offer;

(3) Any form of tenant harassment, including, but not limited to, discontinuance of electricity, heat, or other utilities, failure to maintain the common areas or facilities of the property, or any other failure to maintain the premises in a habitable condition;

(4) Implementing an increase in rent in excess of any governing municipal rent control or rent leveling ordinance, or in the event the property is not subject to rent control, an increase in rent exceeding the limitation imposed by the Anti-Eviction Act, P.L.1974, c.49 (C.2A:18-61.1 et seq.) or any other State or federal law or municipal ordinance.

c. Any person, their agent or employee, who violates the provisions of this section shall be subject to the civil remedies provided for in subsection a. of section 3 of P.L.1975, c.311 (C.2A:18-61.6), or, at the tenant's sole discretion, damages in the amount of $2,000 per violation, plus attorney's fees and costs. Nothing in this subsection shall limit the liability, either civil or criminal, of a person, or a person's agent or employee, who violates any other law or regulation.

L.2009, c.296, s.3.