Cumberland County approves shared‑services deal with improvement authority for forfeited properties after public concerns

The Cumberland County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 5 approved a shared‑services agreement with the county’s improvement authority to transfer and dispose of properties obtained by means of forfeiture.

The vote, recorded as Resolution 2025‑566, follows public comment that questioned who would set property values, what “occupancy” would mean, and why the authority might have a 10‑year term to hold properties before returning them to the county. Resident Sandy Acevedo urged the board to delay the measure and called the draft “convoluted and vague,” saying, “This shared service agreement feels, a lot like a CYA for a situation that appears to have happened in 1 of our major cities in Cumberland County.”

County staff described the agreement as a tool to speed disposition of forfeited single‑family homes while preserving existing legal safeguards. A staff member who answered public questions cited New Jersey statute NJSA 40A:12‑13.5 and said properties subject to transfer “have to be appraised” and that the board retains the ability to withhold or reclaim a property in specific instances. The staff member also told the board that, if the county has concerns with an authority action, “you have the right to veto the minutes of the authority and thus veto the actions of the board.”

Prosecutor Jennifer Webb McCray told commissioners the prosecutor’s office recently seized about $600,000 and 13 properties in civil forfeiture and said the staff explanation “will serve us well when we ultimately seize those properties.” She also confirmed the prosecutor’s office and the improvement authority already work together on some dispositions.

During public comment, multiple residents sought a public list of properties that could be transferred and more detail on how sale prices and buyers would be chosen. One resident asked whether “sold to a third party” in the draft would allow the county to lose control of the buyer or final sale price; staff replied the county would still receive appraisals and that future transfers to the authority would come back to the commission as resolutions for approval.

The board adopted Resolution 2025‑566 by recorded vote. Commissioners and executive staff who voted in the affirmative noted that any specific property transfer would return to the board for approval as a separate public resolution.

The measure will allow the county and the improvement authority to coordinate on expedited handling of forfeited properties; staff said it is intended to prevent long‑term vacancy and to limit dispossession of tenants in good faith while ensuring legal process and appraisal requirements are met.