45:15-16.28 Definitions.

2. As used in this act:

"Advertising" means the publication, or causing to be published, of any information offering for sale, or for the purpose of causing or inducing any other person to purchase or acquire, an interest in the title to subdivided lands, including the land sales contract to be used and any photographs or drawings or artist's representation of physical conditions or facilities on the property existing or to exist by means of any:

(1) Newspaper or periodical;

(2) Radio or television broadcast;

(3) Written or printed or photographic matter produced by any duplicating process producing 10 copies or more;

(4) Billboards or signs;

(5) Display of model homes or units;

(6) Material used in connection with the disposition or offer of subdivided lands by radio, television, telephone or any other electronic means; or

(7) Material used by subdividers or their agents to induce prospective purchasers to visit the subdivision; particularly vacation certificates which require the holders of those certificates to attend or submit to a sales presentation by a subdivider or its agents.

"Advertising" does not mean: stockholder communications such as annual reports and interim financial reports, proxy materials, registration statements, securities prospectuses, applications for listing securities on stock exchanges, or similar documents; prospectuses, property reports, offering statements, or other documents required to be delivered to a prospective purchaser by an agency of any other state or the federal government; all communications addressed to and relating to the account of any person who has previously executed a contract for the purchase of the subdivider's lands except when directed to the sale of additional lands.

"Blanket encumbrance" means a trust deed, mortgage, judgment, or any other lien or encumbrance, including an option or contract to sell or a trust agreement, affecting a subdivision or affecting more than one lot offered within a subdivision, except that term shall not include any lien or other encumbrance arising as the result of the imposition of any tax assessment by any public authority.

"Broker" or "salesperson" means any person who performs within this State as an agent or employee of a subdivider any one or more of the services or acts as set forth in this act, and includes any real estate broker or salesperson licensed pursuant to R.S.45:15-1 et seq. or any person who purports to act in any such capacity. "Commission" means the New Jersey Real Estate Commission.

"Common promotional plan" means any offer for the disposition of lots, parcels, units or interests of real property by a single person or group of persons acting in concert, where those lots, parcels, units or interests are contiguous, or are known, designated or advertised as a common entity or by a common name regardless of the number of lots, parcels, units or interests covered by each individual offering.

"Disposition" means the sale, lease, assignment, award by lottery, or any other transaction concerning a subdivision if undertaken for gain or profit.

"Notice" means a communication by mail from the commission executed by its secretary or other duly authorized officer. Notice to subdividers shall be deemed complete when mailed to the subdivider's address currently on file with the commission.

"Offer" means every inducement, solicitation or attempt to encourage a person to acquire an interest in a subdivision if undertaken for gain or profit.

"Person" means an individual, corporation, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, unincorporated association, two or more of any of the foregoing having a joint or common interest, or any other legal or commercial entity.

"Purchaser" means a person who acquires or attempts to acquire or succeeds to an interest in a subdivision.

"Subdivider" or "developer" means any owner of subdivided lands or the agent of that owner who offers the subdivided lands for disposition.

"Subdivision" and "subdivided lands" mean any land situated outside the State of New Jersey whether contiguous or not, if one or more lots, parcels, units or interests are offered as a part of a common promotional plan of advertising and sale and expressly means and includes such units or interests commonly referred to as a "condominium," defined in the "Condominium Act," P.L.1969, c.257 (C.46:8B-1 et seq.). In addition to condominiums, this definition shall also specifically include, but shall not be limited to, any form of homeowners association, any housing cooperative and any community trust or other trust device.

L.1989, c.239, s.2; amended 2006, c.63, s.37.