Brian Griffin, Esq.

November 20, 2020

We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy heading into the holidays and especially during the recent rise in COVID‑19 infections.

A lot of states are responding to the current spike in Coronavirus diagnoses by implementing more severe guidelines and restrictions. New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are no different in this regard. Particularly, in recent days, we have seen limits placed on the number of people who can gather in one place instituted in all three states:

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October 30, 2020

Our office previously wrote a blog in 2018 about the current status of pending bills in the Senate and Assembly regarding car charging stations in common interest communities. You can read that blog here. The bill NJ S.B. 2421 (2018) was passed by the Assembly and the Senate on January 13, 2020. However, when the bill went before the Governor, it was pocket vetoed on January 21, 2020. This means that the Governor did not directly respond to the bill and point out any objections.

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October 30, 2020

In Pennsylvania, the eviction moratorium was in place until August 31, 2020. Following this, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued a temporary national moratorium on most evictions for nonpayment of rent lasting until December 31, 2020. However, residents would have to be eligible to fall under these protections, which prevents a landlord from even proceeding with an eviction case (which includes the filing and sending of certain notices), after receiving a declaration from a tenant stating they are experiencing a hardship as a result of the pandemic. However, the state protections in Pennsylvania have lapsed. There are efforts going through the Pennsylvania legislature to extend the eviction moratorium, but they have so far been unsuccessful. There also currently does not exist any order permitting tenants to utilize their security deposit for rent in Pennsylvania.

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October 30, 2020

As most are already aware of, residential tenants in New Jersey cannot currently be locked out of their homes during the COVID-19 emergency. The New Jersey governor, on October 24, 2020 signed another executive order, Number 186, which extends the Public Health Emergency that was declared on March 9, 2020 through Executive Order No. 103, which was previously extended on April 7, May 6, June 4, July 2, August 1, August 27, and September 25. By the Governor’s Order, there is a moratorium on residential evictions and foreclosures. Commercial tenants are not subject to the moratorium.

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October 27, 2020

On October 20, 2020, Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order No. 202.70, which further strengthens tenants’ protections during the COVID-19 pandemic, this time for commercial tenants. The Executive Order extends New York State’s moratorium on COVID-related commercial evictions and foreclosures through January 1, 2021. Governor Cuomo states that the “extension of this protection gives commercial tenants and mortgagors additional time to get back on their feet and catch up on rent or their mortgage, or to renegotiate their lease terms to avoid foreclosure moving forward”.

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October 13, 2020

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created a “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ) document as informal guidance to supplement its Order to temporarily halt residential evictions. The CDC Order, as drafted, contained certain ambiguities that the FAQ has now made clear. 

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