There’s a famous saying repeated in Ronald Reagn’s name. When the Government says, “we are here to help you”- then you know you’re in trouble.
This proved itself in a colossal way when Toms River Code Enforcement Department has decided this past July, to police the homes sales and institute MCCUO, a CO inspection requirement for sellers to undertake before a property can transfer title to a buyer.
On the surface it seemed like a fair idea. We’ll send in our guys (inspectors) to the home and make sure its safe for the new buyers! “We’re here to help”.  But wait till you see the list of their requirements. Literally every inch of the home and premises needs to first be certified by outside contractors and that’s before Toms River even sends in their inspectors!
But wait-it gets better. The seller may have advertised the home as a 4 bedroom or their real-estate agent had it so listed on the MLS, and they did so because the sellers use the den as a bedroom for their nanny. Well in comes the TR “CO police” and now demand that you get engineering drawings for the 4th bedroom -because on their tax records the home was noted as a 3 bedroom. All in the name of… “We are here to help the buyer!!”
When I asked one of the Township Council members why they aren’t there to “help the sellers-their neighbors, their fellow Towns people, their tax payers for many years” one of the prominent Council members answered, “oh the sellers-we don’t care about them, they are moving out anyway so why should we care?” “and besides they are moving out with a   s----load of money!!”
They charge an outrageous sum of $300 for initial inspection, $150 for re-inspection, $1500-$2,000 for various contractor certifications and then they won’t even schedule your CO inspection until you’ve forked out all this money and only then, out of the goodness of their helping-heart they’ll inspect your home and come up with a laundry list of repairs that “just isn’t right” for the incoming buyer, whom they care about, so much more, than their 20+ year neighbor who is selling and retiring.
This has to end. This is not about helping, this is about power-wielding officials who have made the process of selling a home in Toms River pure torture.