N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:33-1 et seq. § 2A:33-13
Procedure if landlord fails to proceed with appraisement; selection
Operative Text
2A:33-13. If the landlord, his attorney or agent shall not, within two days after being served with a written request from his tenant so to do, proceed and have the distrained property appraised, the tenant may, after five days' notice thereof to his landlord, his attorney or agent, apply to the sheriff of the county and have the property inventoried and appraised. The property reserved for the use of the family of the tenant may thereupon be selected as provided by section 2A:33-12 of this title.
Under N.J.S.A. 2A:33-13, when a landlord who has distrained (seized) a tenant's property fails to arrange an appraisal within two days of receiving a written request from the tenant, the law provides an alternative path: the tenant may give five days' notice and then ask the county sheriff to inventory and appraise the seized property. Once that appraisal process is underway, the tenant's family-use property exemptions described in section 2A:33-12 may be selected from the inventoried items.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Section 2A:33-13 places a strict two-day window on landlords who have distrained a tenant's property: once a written appraisal request is received, a compliant operator promptly arranges for the distrained property to be appraised within that timeframe. Failing to act within those two days triggers the tenant's right to involve the county sheriff, which removes the landlord's control over the appraisal process. Property managers handling distraint proceedings generally maintain clear records of when written requests are received and document all steps taken to arrange timely appraisement.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
N.J.S.A. 2A:33-13 gives tenants a concrete remedy when a landlord, attorney, or agent does not arrange an appraisal of distrained property within two days of a written request: after providing five days' notice, a tenant may go directly to the county sheriff to have the property inventoried and appraised. Once that process is initiated, the tenant may also assert the family-use property exemptions outlined in section 2A:33-12. Tenants navigating a distraint situation may find it useful to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid office to understand how these procedural steps apply generally.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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