a. “Abatement” means that portion of the assessed value of a property as it existed prior to construction, improvement or conversion of a building or structure thereon, which is exempted from taxation pursuant to this act.

b. “Area in need of rehabilitation” means a portion or all of a municipality which has been determined to be an area in need of rehabilitation or redevelopment pursuant to the “Local Redevelopment and Housing Law,” P.L.1992, c.79 (C. 40A:12A-1 et al.), a “blighted area” as determined pursuant to the “Blighted Areas Act,” P.L.1949, c.187 (C. 40:55-21.1 et seq.), or which has been determined to be in need of rehabilitation pursuant to P.L.1975, c.104 (C. 54:4-3.72 et seq.), P.L.1977, c.12 (C. 54:4-3.95 et seq.), or P.L.1979, c.233 (C. 54:4-3.121 et al.).

c. “Assessor” means the officer of a taxing district charged with the duty of assessing real property for the purpose of general taxation.

d. “Commercial or industrial structure” means a structure or part thereof used for the manufacturing, processing or assembling of material or manufactured products, or for research, office, industrial, commercial, retail, recreational, hotel or motel facilities, or warehousing purposes, or for any combination thereof, which the governing body determines will tend to maintain or provide gainful employment within the municipality, assist in the economic development of the municipality, maintain or increase the tax base of the municipality and maintain or diversify and expand commerce within the municipality. It shall not include any structure or part thereof used or to be used by any business relocated from another qualifying municipality unless: the total square footage of the floor area of the structure or part thereof used or to be used by the business at the new site together with the total square footage of the land used or to be used by the business at the new site exceeds the total square footage of that utilized by the business at its current site of operations by at least 10%; and the property that the business is relocating to has been the subject of a remedial action plan costing in excess of $250,000 performed pursuant to an administrative consent order entered into pursuant to authority vested in the Commissioner of Environmental Protection under P.L.1970, c.33 (C. 13:1D-1 et al.), the “Water Pollution Control Act,” P.L.1977, c.74 (C. 58:10A-1 et seq.), the “Solid Waste Management Act,” P.L.1970, c.39 (C. 13:1E-1 et seq.), and the “Spill Compensation and Control Act,” P.L.1976, c.141 (C. 58:10-23.11 et seq.).

e. “Completion” means substantially ready for the intended use for which a building or structure is constructed, improved or converted.

f. “Condominium” means a property created or recorded as a condominium pursuant to the “Condominium Act,” P.L.1969, c.257 (C. 46:8B-1 et seq.).

g. “Construction” means the provision of a new dwelling, multiple dwelling or commercial or industrial structure, or the enlargement of the volume of an existing multiple dwelling or commercial or industrial structure by more than 30%, but shall not mean the conversion of an existing building or structure to another use.

h. “Conversion” or “conversion alteration” means the alteration or renovation of a nonresidential building or structure, or hotel, motel, motor hotel or guesthouse, in such manner as to convert the building or structure from its previous use to use as a dwelling or multiple dwelling.

i. “Cooperative” means a housing corporation or association, wherein the holder of a share or membership interest thereof is entitled to possess and occupy for dwelling purposes a house, apartment, or other unit of housing owned by the corporation or association, or to purchase a unit of housing owned by the corporation or association.

j. “Cost” means, when used with respect to abatements for dwellings or multiple dwellings, only the cost or fair market value of direct labor and materials used in improving a multiple dwelling, or of converting another building or structure to a multiple dwelling, or of constructing a dwelling, or of converting another building or structure to a dwelling, including any architectural, engineering, and contractor’s fees associated therewith, as the owner of the property shall cause to be certified to the governing body by an independent and qualified architect, following the completion of the project.

k. “Dwelling” means a building or part of a building used, to be used or held for use as a home or residence, including accessory buildings located on the same premises, together with the land upon which such building or buildings are erected and which may be necessary for the fair enjoyment thereof, but shall not mean any building or part of a building, defined as a “multiple dwelling” pursuant to the “Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law,” P.L.1967, c.76 (C. 55:13A-1 et seq.). A dwelling shall include, as they are separately conveyed to individual owners, individual residences within a cooperative, if purchased separately by the occupants thereof, and individual residences within a horizontal property regime or a condominium, but shall not include “general common elements” or “common elements” of such horizontal property regime or condominium as defined pursuant to the “Horizontal Property Act,” P.L.1963, c.168 (C. 46:8A-1 et seq.), or the “Condominium Act,” P.L.1969, c.257 (C. 46:8B-1 et seq.), or of a cooperative, if the residential units are owned separately.

l. “Exemption” means that portion of the assessor‘s full and true value of any improvement, conversion alteration, or construction not regarded as increasing the taxable value of a property pursuant to this act.

m. “Horizontal property regime” means a property submitted to a horizontal property regime pursuant to the “Horizontal Property Act,” P.L.1963, c.168 (C. 46:8A-1 et seq.).

n. “Improvement” means a modernization, rehabilitation, renovation, alteration or repair which produces a physical change in an existing building or structure that improves the safety, sanitation, decency or attractiveness of the building or structure as a place for human habitation or work, and which does not change its permitted use. In the case of a multiple dwelling, it includes only improvements which affect common areas or elements, or three or more dwelling units within the multiple dwelling. In the case of a multiple dwelling or commercial or industrial structure, it shall not include ordinary painting, repairs and replacement of maintenance items, or an enlargement of the volume of an existing structure by more than 30%. In no case shall it include the repair of fire or other damage to a property for which payment of a claim was received by any person from an insurance company at any time during the three year period immediately preceding the filing of an application pursuant to this act.

o. “Multiple dwelling” means a building or structure meeting the definition of “multiple dwelling” set forth in the “Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law,” P.L.1967, c.76 (C. 55:13A-1 et seq.), and means for the purpose of improvement or construction the “general common elements” and “common elements” of a condominium, a cooperative, or a horizontal property regime.

p. “Project” means the construction, improvement or conversion of a structure in an area in need of rehabilitation that would qualify for an exemption, or an exemption and abatement, pursuant to P.L.1991, c.441 (C. 40A:21-1 et seq.).

q. “Annual period” means a duration of time comprising 365 days, or 366 days when the included month of February has 29 days, that commences on the date that an exemption or abatement for a project becomes effective pursuant to section 16 of P.L.1991, c.441 (C. 40A:21-16).

L.1991, c.441, s.3; amended 1992, c.79, s.57; 1995, c.113; 2007, c.268, s.1.