N.J. Stat. tit. 27, ch. 20

in effect

N.J. Stat. § 27:20-1 Acquisition of plank roads; bridges; maintenance by counties and municipalities

When the franchise of an incorporated plank road company has expired or may expire, the board of chosen freeholders of the county in which any bridge owned or claimed to be owned by such company or any part of such bridge may be, shall acquire it by purchase or condemnation, in case there be any ownership therein by such company, and take possession of such bridge or so much thereof as may be within the limits of the county, and maintain and operate it for public use. Each municipality in or through which the plank road or any part thereof runs, shall maintain the portion lying within such municipality, and acquire by purchase or condemnation any right therein remaining in the company, but if the portion of the plank road which runs in or through a municipality is not connected with any other road or highway of the municipality the duty of maintaining and acquiring such portion shall be upon the board of chosen freeholders of the county in which such portion lies.

N.J. Stat. § 27:20-5 Use of unappropriated funds; taxation

For the purpose of furnishing the moneys necessary to carry out the provisions of sections 27:20-1 to 27:20-4 of this title and for defraying any expense thereby incurred, the boards of chosen freeholders may use any moneys of their respective counties not otherwise appropriated and raise money from time to time by taxation.

N.J. Stat. § 27:20-6 Changed conditions to alter apportionment; action

At any time after the entry of a judgment of apportionment of expense as provided in sections 27:20-4 and 27:20-5 of this Title, the boards of chosen freeholders or either of them, alleging changes in the conditions upon which the original judgment of apportionment had been based, may institute another action in the Superior Court. The court may also proceed in this action in a summary manner or otherwise and apportion and determine the portion of the expense to be thereafter paid by each of the counties respectively. Amended by L.1953, c. 27, p. 502, s. 28.

N.J. Stat. § 27:20-7 Widening plank roads acquired by county

After a plank road shall have been acquired and taken possession of by a board or boards of chosen freeholders it may be widened to any width not exceeding one hundred feet, provided the board or boards of chosen freeholders of the county or counties in which such road may be situate shall adopt a resolution determining that such widening is of public importance and setting forth the width proposed, the location of the widening, and the points between which such widening is to be made. If the road lies in two or more counties the resolution shall receive the approval of each county before it becomes operative.

N.J. Stat. § 27:20-8 Widening roads; acquisition of property; cost borne by counties respectively

The title to the lands required for such widening may be acquired by gift, devise, purchase or condemnation, and shall vest in the county or counties within the territorial limits of which they may lie, respectively, and the cost and expense of acquiring such lands shall be paid by the county within which they shall lie, but nothing in this section or section 27:20-7 of this title shall alter or affect the provisions of law under which such road, including the bridges thereof, is or shall be constructed, renewed, repaired or maintained.

N.J. Stat. § 27:20-9 Bond issue

If in the opinion of any of the boards of chosen freeholders, to place in the tax levy for any fiscal year the moneys necessary to pay for the acquisition of the lands necessary for such widening would be too burdensome on the taxpayers of such county, it may by resolution authorize the issuance of bonds therefor.

N.J. Stat. § 27:20-10 Joint operation by freeholders abandoned; boards to act separately

When the road and bridge or bridges of a plank road company, included within the terms of section 27:20-1 of this title, have been acquired, maintained and operated at the joint expense of the boards of chosen freeholders of the counties in which such road and bridge or bridges are located, under the provisions of sections 27:20-4 and 27:20-5 of this title, and such road and bridge or bridges have been taken over by the state highway commissioner as a part of the state highway system all rights, powers and duties of the boards of chosen freeholders relating to the road and bridge or bridges shall devolve upon the boards of chosen freeholders separately, within the territorial limits of their respective counties, and no such board shall expend moneys in connection with a road and bridge or bridges outside of the territorial limits of its county.

N.J. Stat. § 27:20-11 Police and employees assigned to their own county

Thereafter the police and employees theretofore jointly employed shall become the police and employees of their respective counties in which they were resident at the time of their respective appointments.

N.J. Stat. § 27:20-12 Maintenance of certain turnpikes purchased

The portion of a turnpike road lying within the limits of a municipality, purchased or acquired for public use under the provisions of an act entitled "An act relating to the purchase and acquisition by any city, township, town, borough or other municipality of the portion of any turnpike road lying within the limits of any such city, township, town, borough or other municipality, and to provide the money necessary for the purchase thereof," approved March twenty-fourth, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine (L.1899, c. 191, p. 501), shall be graded, regulated, worked, repaired, maintained and kept up at the expense of the municipality in which it lies.

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026