Bill Text: NJ S1429 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Revises and expands laws on trespass and vandalism on agricultural and horticultural lands.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-06-25 - Substituted by A1053 [S1429 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-S1429-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JEFF VAN DREW
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
SYNOPSIS
Revises and expands laws on trespass and vandalism on agricultural and horticultural lands.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning trespass and vandalism on agricultural or horticultural lands and amending various parts of the statutory law.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 2 of P.L.1983, c.522 (C.2C:18-5) is amended to read as follows:
2. It is an offense under [this act] P.L.1983, c.522 (C.2C:18-4 et seq.) to:
a. Knowingly or recklessly operate a motorized vehicle or to ride horseback upon the lands of another without obtaining and in possession of the written permission of the owner, occupant, [or] , lessee, or licensee thereof.
b. Knowingly or recklessly damage or injure any tangible property, including, but not limited to, any fence, building, feedstocks, crops, live trees, or any domestic animals, located on the lands of another.
(cf: P.L.1983, c.522, s.2)
2. Section 3 of P.L.1983, c.522 (C.2C:18-6) is amended to read as follows:
3. a. An offense pursuant to section 2 of [this act] P.L.1983, c.522 (C.2C:18-5) is a crime of the third degree if the actor causes pecuniary loss of [$2,000.00] $2,000 or more; a crime of the fourth degree if the actor causes pecuniary loss [in excess] of [$500.00] more than $500 but less than [$2,000.00] $2,000; and a disorderly persons offense if [he] the actor causes pecuniary loss of [$500.00] $500 or less.
b. The provisions of N.J.S.2C:43-3 to the contrary notwithstanding, in addition to any other sentence which the court may impose pursuant to subsection c. of this section or any other provision of law, a person convicted of an offense under [this act] P.L.1983, c.522 (C.2C:18-4 et seq.) shall be sentenced to make restitution, and to pay a fine of not less than [$500.00] $500 if the offense is a crime of the third degree; to pay a fine of not less than [$200.00] $200 if the offense is a crime of the fourth degree; and to pay a fine of not less than [$100.00] $100 when the conviction is of a disorderly persons offense.
c. A person who is
convicted of an offense pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1983, c.522 (C.2C:18-5),
in addition to any other fine, penalty, or restitution which may be imposed by
law, is liable to the
owner, occupant, lessee, or licensee of the lands or of the tangible
property for any reasonable and necessary expenses, including reasonable
attorney fees, incurred by the owner, occupant, lessee, or licensee to ensure
that the lands or the tangible property are restored to their condition prior
to commission of the offense. The court shall make a finding of the amount of
expenses incurred and damages sustained and order the defendant to pay as
appropriate.
(cf: P.L.1983, c.522, s.3)
3. R.S.4:17-2 is amended to read as follows:
4:17-2. a. [Any] Except as provided otherwise pursuant to subsection b. of this section, any person who trespasses upon the agricultural or horticultural lands of another is liable to a civil penalty of not less than [$100.00, to be collected in a civil action by a summary proceeding under "the penalty enforcement law" (N.J.S.2A:58-1 et seq.). The Superior Court shall have jurisdiction to enforce "the penalty enforcement law." If the violation is of a continuing nature, each day during which it continues constitutes an additional, separate and distinct offense] $100.
b. In addition to any other applicable fines, penalties, or restitution that may be assessed pursuant to section 3 of P.L.1983, c.522 (C.2C:18-6) or any other law, any person who knowingly or recklessly operates a motorized vehicle or rides horseback upon the lands of another without obtaining and in possession of the written permission of the owner, occupant, lessee, or licensee thereof, or damages or injures any tangible property, including, but not limited to, any fence, building, feedstocks, crops, live trees, or any domestic animals, located on the lands of another shall be liable to:
(1) a civil penalty of not less than $1,000; and
(2) the owner, occupant, lessee, or licensee of the lands for any reasonable and necessary expenses, including reasonable attorney fees, incurred by the owner, occupant, lessee, or licensee to ensure that the lands are restored to their condition prior to commission of the offense.
The court shall make a finding of the amount of expenses incurred and damages sustained and order the defendant to pay as appropriate.
c. Any civil penalty imposed pursuant to subsection a. or b. of this section shall be collected in a civil action by a summary proceeding under the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999," P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.). The Superior Court and the municipal court shall have jurisdiction to enforce the "Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999." If the violation is of a continuing nature, each day during which it continues shall constitute an additional, separate and distinct offense.
d. Nothing in this article shall relieve owners of agricultural or horticultural lands from the obligation to provide conspicuous posting prohibiting trespass on the waters or banks along or around any waters listed for stocking with fish in the current fish code adopted pursuant to section 32 of P.L.1948, c. 448 (C.13:1B-30) before a trespass violation may be found.
e. As used in this [act] article, "agricultural or horticultural lands" means lands devoted to the production for sale of plants and animals useful to man, encompassing plowed or tilled fields, standing crops or their residues, cranberry bogs and appurtenant dams, dikes, canals, ditches and pump houses, including impoundments, man-made reservoirs and the adjacent shorelines thereto, orchards, nurseries and lands with a maintained fence for the purpose of restraining domestic livestock. "Agricultural or horticultural lands" shall also include lands in agricultural use, as defined in section 3 of P.L.1983, c.32 (C.4:1C-13) where public notice prohibiting trespass is given by actual communication to the actor, conspicuous posting, or fencing or other enclosure manifestly designed to exclude intruders. [Nothing in this act shall relieve owners of agricultural or horticultural lands from the obligation to provide conspicuous posting prohibiting trespass on the waters or banks along or around any waters listed for stocking with fish in the current fish code adopted pursuant to section 32 of P.L.1948, c. 448
(C.13:1B-30) before a trespass violation may be found.]
(cf: P.L.1991, c.91, s.172)
4. R.S.4:17-3 is amended to read as follows:
4:17-3. A person who shall violate any of the provisions of this article may be arrested without warrant by the owner, occupant, lessee, or licensee, or an officer of the law and taken for trial before [a court mentioned in section 4:17-2 of this Title] the appropriate court pursuant to R.S.4:17-2.
(cf: P.L.1953, c.5, s.42)
5. R.S.4:17-4 is amended to read as follows:
4:17-4. In a prosecution for violation of the provisions of this article, the failure of the defendant to produce a written permit to enter upon the lands upon which [he] the defendant is charged with trespassing, signed by the owner, occupant, lessee, or licensee thereof, shall be prima facie proof that [he] the defendant was forbidden [so to trespass by such] by the owner, occupant, lessee, or licensee to enter upon the lands of the owner, occupant, lessee, or licensee.
(cf: R.S.4:17-4)
6. R.S.4:17-5 is amended to read as follows:
4:17-5. Upon the failure of a person convicted of violating the provisions of this article to pay a fine as imposed [as provided in] pursuant to this article, the court [before whom the conviction is had] convicting the person may commit such person to the county jail until the fine is paid.
(cf: P.L.1953, c.5, s.43)
7. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill revises, expands, and clarifies the restitution and penalty provisions established in law for trespassers and vandals on agricultural or horticultural lands.
Current law provides that it is a criminal offense to:
(1) knowingly or recklessly operate a motorized vehicle or ride horseback upon the lands of another without obtaining and possessing the written permission of the owner, occupant, or lessee thereof; or
(2) knowingly or recklessly damage or injure any tangible property, including, but not limited to, any fence, building, feedstocks, crops, live trees, or any domestic animals, located on the lands of another.
The degree of the offenses described above ranges under current law from a disorderly persons offense to fourth degree or third degree crime, depending upon the pecuniary loss involved. A person convicted of one of these offenses is required to make restitution and pay certain minimum mandatory fines in addition to any other penalties that may be assessed for the particular degree of the offense.
Current law also provides that a trespasser on agricultural or horticultural lands is subject to a civil fine of at least $100.
This bill provides that a person who is convicted of one of the criminal offenses listed above is liable to the owner, occupant, lessee, or licensee (the bill adds licensee to the list of possible victims under the current law) of the lands or of the tangible property for, in addition to any other fine, penalty, or restitution which may be imposed by law, any reasonable and necessary expenses, including reasonable attorney fees, incurred by the owner, occupant, lessee, or licensee to ensure that the lands or the tangible property are restored to their condition prior to commission of the offense. The court hearing the case would be required to make a finding of the amount of expenses incurred and damages sustained and order the defendant to pay them as appropriate.
The bill establishes a civil penalty of at least $1,000 for persons who: (1) knowingly or recklessly operate a motorized vehicle or ride horseback upon the lands of another without obtaining and possessing the written permission of the owner, occupant, lessee, or licensee thereof; or (2) knowingly or recklessly damage or injure any tangible property, including, but not limited to, any fence, building, feedstocks, crops, live trees, or any domestic animals, located on the lands of another. For these civil offenses too, the court hearing the case would be required to make a finding of the amount of expenses incurred and damages sustained and order the defendant to pay them as appropriate.
