Whenever it shall appear that the center line of any partition wall, heretofore or hereafter erected by the owners of adjoining lands upon the division line of their properties, does not correspond exactly with the division line of the land of such adjoining owners, but that more than half of such partition wall is erected upon the land of 1 of such adjoining owners, neither an action for possession of land nor an action sounding in tort shall be commenced by the owner of the premises upon whose land more than half of such partition wall is erected in reference to such partition wall as long as the same shall stand. However, the present owner of either of such adjoining lands may institute an action in the superior court for adjudication of the rights of such adjoining owners in such partition wall. The superior court shall hear such action, and shall determine what is a fair sum in gross to be paid by the owner of the premises enjoying the use of more than half of such partition wall to the owner of the land upon which more than half of such partition wall has been erected. The court shall render a judgment that, upon the payment of such sum in gross to the owner upon whose land such partition wall overlaps, or to any mortgagee or judgment creditor having a lien thereon, as provided by section 2A:57-2 of this title, such partition wall shall stand as erected, as long and in the same manner, as if the center line thereof had been erected upon the center of the division line between such adjoining premises, and the rights of such adjoining owners in such partition wall shall, in all respects, be the same as if the center of such partition wall had been erected upon the center of the division line between such lands.

L.1951 (1st SS), c.344.