Is Your Community Association Receiving the Benefits of the Municipal Services Act?

New Jersey’s Municipal Services Act, N.J.S.A. 40:67-23.2 to -23.8, which went into effect in 1993, is the first (and possibly still the only) legislation in the country that requires cities and towns to provide certain municipal services or reimbursements to community associations within their borders. In short, the Act requires every municipality in New Jersey to either: (1) provide certain services – including the removal of snow and ice from roads; collection of leaves, trash, and recyclables; and lighting of roads and streets – to qualified private communities “in the same fashion” as the municipality provides such services along public streets; or (2) reimburse these communities for such services.