4:1C-39. Sale of fee simple absolute interest in land; notice

a. A landowner who wishes to sell a fee simple absolute interest in land that becomes enrolled after the effective date of P.L.1989, c.28 (C.4:1C-38 et al.) in a municipally approved program or other farmland preservation program established pursuant to sections 14 and 13 of P.L.1983, c.32 (C.4:1C-21 and 4:1C-20), respectively, shall give to the committee written notice, by certified mail, that a contract of sale has been executed for the property. The notice shall set forth the terms and conditions of the executed contract of sale and shall have attached a copy of that contract. The notice of executed contract of sale shall also include any other information that the committee may reasonably require by regulation. The committee shall have the first right and option to purchase the land upon substantially similar terms and conditions, which right and option shall be exercisable as provided by this section. If the committee chooses to exercise the first right and option, the committee shall give notice of that intent to the landowner within a period of 30 days following the date of receipt of the notice of executed contract of sale. The committee shall submit its offer to match the terms and conditions of the executed contract of sale to the landowner within the 60 days following the expiration of the 30-day period. If no notice is given within the 30-day period that the committee intends to exercise the first right and option, or if no offer is submitted to the landowner within the 60-day period following the 30-day period, the owner may at the expiration of the 30-day period or the 60-day period, as the case may be, convey the land to the proposed purchaser named in the executed contract of sale upon the terms and conditions specified therein, or to the proposed purchaser's assignee as provided in that executed contract of sale. If the owner fails to convey the land to the named proposed purchaser or an assignee thereof pursuant to the executed contract of sale, the land shall again become subject to the committee's first right and option to purchase as provided by this section. A landowner may elect to convey the land to the committee upon the exercise of the committee's first right and option to purchase without breaching the original contract of sale, notwithstanding that the committee's offer is different than, or provides for lower consideration than, that in the original executed contract of sale.

b. The provisions of this section shall apply to any sale of a fee simple absolute interest in land that becomes enrolled in a municipally approved program or other farmland preservation program subsequent to the effective date of P.L.1989, c.28 (C.4:1C-38 et al.), except that any person enrolled in a municipally approved program or other farmland preservation program prior to the effective date of P.L.1989, c.28 (C.4:1C-38 et al.) may agree to provide this first right and option to purchase in a manner consistent with this section.

c. The provisions of subsection a. of this section shall apply to the sale of a fee simple absolute interest in land from which a development easement of limited term has been conveyed pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection a. of section 17 of P.L.1983, c.32 (C.4:1C-24) during the term of that development easement and for one year thereafter.

L.1989, c.28, s.2; amended 1989,c.310,s.7.