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2A:33-4. Impounding of strays
Cattle or other domestic animals found straying on the property of any person other than
their owner, causing damage to such property, may be distrained and impounded to secure
reimbursement for such damage.
4:20-1. Sufficiency of fences in general
A fence shall be deemed lawful, subject to the provisions of section 4:20-2 of this title,
if four feet and two inches high measuring from the level or surface of the earth, and
close, strong and sufficient to prevent horses and cattle from going through or under it.
4:20-2. Sufficiency of partition fences
A fence set in the line of partition between persons either of whom shall improve his
adjoining lands shall, in addition to compliance with section 4:20- 1 of this title, be so
close, strong and sufficient as to prevent sheep from going through or under it, except
that owners of adjoining lands lying upon streams or rivers subject to overflow, commonly
known as lowland meadow, shall be exempt from fencing against sheep unless by mutual
agreement.
4:20-3. Partition fences of barbed wire
Fences between the lands of adjoining landowners constructed of barbed wire or
wire on which barbs or points are strung or fastened shall not be deemed lawful fences
unless their erection is consented to by the adjoining owner, and such fences are hereby
prohibited without such consent.
4:20-4. Gates as part of partition fence
Swinging gates erected as a part of a partition fence between adjoining lands shall be
considered a lawful fence if they are four feet six inches high, and so close and strong
as to prevent horses, cattle and sheep from going through or under them.
4:20-5. Sufficiency of ditches as fences in meadows
Ditches and drains made in or through salt marshes and meadows for fencing and
draining them, which are five feet wide and three feet deep, and ditches and drains in or
through other meadows, which are nine feet wide at the surface of the meadow, four feet
and a half wide at bottom, and three feet deep, and lie on a mud or miry bottom, shall be
deemed lawful fences.
4:20-6. Sufficiency as fences of things equivalent thereto
Brooks, rivers, ponds, creeks and hedges, or other matter or thing equivalent to a fence
as provided in this article, may be adjudged lawful fences in the discretion of those who
may be called upon as prescribed in this chapter to view such things.
4:20-7. Duty to make and maintain portion of partition fence
Where the lands of any 2 or more persons shall join each other and 1 or more of them are
using said lands for the pasturage or keeping of animals, each of them so using said lands
shall make or amend and maintain a just proportion of the partition fence between said
lands except when all of said persons shall choose to let their adjoining lands lie vacant
and open, but no such adjoining owner shall be required to make, amend or maintain any
portion of any such partition fence, unless he is using his adjoining lands for said
purposes.
4:20-8. Failure to make and maintain portion of partition fence
When a person after due notice shall fail to make or amend and maintain his part
or proportion of a partition fence as required by section 4:20-7 of this Title, the other
person may make or amend and maintain the same wholly, in which event he shall be entitled
to receive, from the person so failing, the entire expense thereof, if he is not using his
adjoining lands for the pasturage or keeping of animals, or if he is so using his
adjoining lands, he shall be entitled to receive 1/2 of the expenses thereof, if the other
person is using his adjoining lands for said purposes, as appraised and certified in
writing by 2 disinterested members of the township committee where the lands lie, together
with the legal fees of such committee for their services as ascertained in writing. Upon
nonpayment by the delinquent person of the sum so found and the fees certified to be due,
the other person may recover such sums, with costs of suit, in a civil action in any court
of competent jurisdiction
4:20-9. Apportioning of partition fence for erection and maintenance
The place where a partition fence is or shall be made, between adjoining lands both used
for the pasturage or the keeping of animals, shall be equally divided, regard being had to
the quantity of fence necessary and other conveniences of fencing and each party shall
take an equal share of such fence to make or amend and maintain, so that it may be known
which part thereof is his own.
When the parties cannot agree in making the division, then any 2 members of the
township committee of the township where the lands lie or any 2 members of the board or
body having control of the streets in any other municipality, who are disinterested,
shall, upon application of either party and in the presence of the parties if they will
attend, make such division. Such determination shall be delivered to each of the parties
in writing and be binding upon them and the succeeding owners and tenants of the lands.
4:20-10. Specification of time for making partition fence
When two of the township committee shall determine the parts or shares of any
partition fence to be made under the provisions of this article, they shall specify in
writing the time within which such fence shall be made by the parties, respectively, to
whom such parts or shares have been assigned.
4:20-11. Placing partition fence where parties disagree
To avoid the difficulty that may arise touching the placing of a partition fence when the
parties cannot agree thereupon, the persons proposing to make the fence may apply to any
two members of the township committee of the township where the lands lie or any two
members of the board or body having control of the streets in any other municipality, who
are disinterested, who, upon hearing the allegations and proofs of the parties shall fix,
by writing under their hands to be delivered to each of the parties, the place where the
fence shall be made. When the fence has been made in the place so fixed and one party has
failed to make his just part or proportion thereof, the party making it may recover such
part or proportion of the charges in the manner provided in section 4:20-8 of this title,
although it may not happen to be exactly in the division line.
The fixing of the place for the fence as provided in this section shall not deprive either
party of a lawful claim to a greater quantity of land and either party may maintain an
action therefor as though such determination had never been made.
4:20-12. Placing and apportioning partition fence when line is private road or
watercourse
When lands belonging to or occupied by different persons and subject to be fenced, are
bounded upon or divided from each other by a private road, or by any creek, brook, stream,
pond or run of water which is not navigable for boats or flats and is not of itself a
sufficient fence, and the owner or possessor of the land on 1 side, who is required by
this article to make or amend and maintain a sufficient fence or to contribute to the
making, amending and maintaining thereof, shall refuse to do so or to join with the owner
or possessor of the land on the other side in making a partition fence on 1 side or the
other, or cannot agree respecting the fence, then either of the owners or possessors may
apply to any 2 of the township committee of the township where the lands lie, who are
disinterested. If such committee on examination is of the opinion that the private road or
creek, brook, stream, pond or run of water does not constitute a sufficient fence and that
it is impracticable or inconvenient without unreasonable expense for the partition fence
to be made in the middle or other part of the private road or water which is the true
division line between the parties, such committee, in the presence of the parties, if they
will attend, shall determine, fix and ascertain, as to it shall appear just and
reasonable, how or on which side thereof the fence shall be set up and maintained, or
whether partly on 1 side and partly on the other, and the part or share of the fence, if
any, which each person shall make and maintain, and reduce its decision to writing
delivering a part thereof to each party.
If either party shall fail to make and maintain his part or proportion of the fence as
determined by the committee, the other party may make and maintain the same wholly in
which event the other party shall be liable as provided in section 4:20-8 of this Title.
4:20-13. Placing and apportioning partition fence when line is township
boundary
When lands belonging to different persons are bounded on the division line
between 2 townships, 1 person shall be taken from the township committee of each of the
townships, to determine, as provided in sections 4:20-8, 4:20-11 and 4:20-12 of this
Title, the place where a partition fence shall be set up and maintained, and the part or
share thereof, if any, which each person shall make and maintain.
4:20-14. Failure of members of township committee to agree
When two of the township committee, called as provided in this chapter to determine any
matter in difference, cannot agree in their determination, they may call upon a
disinterested freeholder of the neighborhood to join with them, and the determination of
any two of them, made and certified in writing in the manner provided in this chapter,
shall be binding and conclusive between the parties.
4:20-15. Failure of member of township committee to act; penalty
A member of a township committee who upon due notice, and the request of any person
interested to perform any of the duties assigned to him by this chapter, shall refuse or
neglect forthwith to attend accordingly, shall forfeit and pay the sum of four dollars and
costs to any person who shall sue therefor in an action at law within thirty days after
such neglect or refusal.
4:20-16. Fees of township committee members
A member of a township committee shall be allowed, for the time he is engaged in the
performance of duties under this chapter, one dollar per day and fifty cents for a half
day, to be paid by the person or persons employing him.
When such person or persons shall fail to pay the members of the committee their legal
fees within thirty days after the service done, they may severally recover double the
amount of such fees, with costs of suit, by action at law. Each one of the committee may
be a witness for or against his companion in any such action.
4:20-17. Notice as prerequisite to removal of partition fence
When a partition fence is made between 2 persons as directed in this chapter and either of
them shall cease to use his adjoining lands for the pasturage or keeping of animals and
shall desire to give up his improvement and leave the same open and common, he shall not
take up or remove the fence without giving 1 year's notice in writing to the person in
possession of the adjoining lands.
A person who shall remove such fence without giving the notice or before the expiration of
the year, shall be liable to make good all damages sustained by the other person thereby,
to be recovered, with costs of suit, in any court of competent jurisdiction.
4:20-18. Agreements respecting partition fences
Nothing contained in this chapter shall render void a written agreement respecting the
making or maintenance of partition fences.
4:20-19. Registration of agreements and certificates; fee
The clerk of a township shall provide, at the expense of the township, a book for the
purpose of registering written agreements of persons relative to a division of the fence
or fences of their adjoining lands.
Such agreements and the certificates in writing of any two of the township committee who
may make a division of any fence or fences under the provisions of this chapter shall be
recorded by the clerk or clerks of the township or townships in which the fences are
located, and the clerk or clerks shall be entitled to a fee of twenty-five cents for such
service.
Before any such agreement or certificate is recorded it shall be acknowledged by the
parties or said township committeemen, or the execution thereof proved as deeds of
conveyance of lands are required to be acknowledged or proved before the recording
thereof.
4:20-21. Failure of clerk to register; penalty
A township clerk who shall fail to enter or register an agreement or certificate such as
is referred to in section 4:20-19 of this Title, within two weeks after it is made and
delivered to him with a tender of the fees, shall forfeit five dollars ($5.00) to be
recovered, with costs of action, by a civil action by any person who shall sue for it.
4:20-22. Damages by animals breaking through lawful fences
When horses, cattle or sheep shall get over, creep through or break down any fence
declared lawful by this chapter, the owner of the animals shall pay to the person injured
all damages occasioned thereby, to be appraised and certified in writing by two
substantial and indifferent men of the neighborhood mutually chosen by the parties, which
men, unless otherwise agreed upon by the parties, shall be owners of a class of property
similar to that damaged. If the owner of the animals shall neglect or refuse to choose one
of the appraisers then the injured party may choose both such appraisers himself. When the
appraisers cannot agree upon the damages they may choose a freeholder of the neighborhood
to join them, whereupon the appraisement by any two of them, made and certified in
writing, shall be binding and conclusive upon the parties.
4:20-23. Impounding and sale of such animals
The person injured as provided in section 4:20-22 of this title may take and impound the
animals found trespassing or doing damage, as therein provided, in his field or other
inclosure for twenty-four hours and shall give notice thereof to the owner of the animals,
if known and easily to be found.
If the animals are not redeemed within the twenty-four hours by payment of or satisfaction
for the damages certified as provided in said section 4:20-22, the person damaged shall
take them to the public pound of the township, where the poundkeeper shall receive and
keep them until the damages so certified and the charges of conveying and pounding are
paid.
The person damaged shall have twenty-five cents per head for horses and cattle and fifteen
cents for sheep, for taking the animals to the pound, and the poundkeeper shall have the
same fees for letting in and out of the pound, and forty cents per head for horses and
cattle and twenty-five cents for sheep for every twenty-four hours they shall remain in
the pound.
If the owner of the impounded animals does not pay the damages and charges of impounding
within four days after the animals are impounded, or replevy them, the poundkeeper shall
set up advertisements in at least three of the most public places in the township to which
the pound belongs, and in one or more of the most public places in the two next adjoining
townships, particularly describing the animals and giving at least thirty days' notice of
an intended day and place of sale, and stating that if the owner does not appear and
redeem the animals before the time so notified, they will be sold at public sale.
If the owner, or another for him, does not appear and redeem the animals at the time and
place of the sale, the poundkeeper shall sell them accordingly, and out of the money
arising therefrom shall pay the damages and charges of conveying to the pound, retain his
fees for pounding, keeping and feeding the animals and the further sum of one dollar for
each animal for setting up the advertisements and notice of sale and selling such animal,
and return the surplus to the owner.
If the owner does not appear and claim the surplus within twelve calendar months after the
sale, it shall be paid to the clerk of the township where the animals were impounded, for
the use of the township.
4:20-24. Impounding and sale where no public pound
Where there is no public pound kept within the township, the person damaged by animals
trespassing as provided in section 4:20-22 of this title may impound them in his own field
or inclosure until redeemed as provided in section 4:20- 23 of this title, and he shall
act in all respects, and be entitled to the same fees as the poundkeeper.
4:20-25. Molestation of gate in partition fence; penalty; damages and impounding
of animals
A person who shall stake, shore or leave open or insecure, or cut, break, pull down or
destroy or in any way leave a gate, erected as a part of a partition fence as authorized
in section 4:20-24 of this Title, so that the horses or cattle of the owner of the
adjoining lands may pass through it, shall, for every such offense, be liable to a penalty
of five dollars ($5.00), to be recovered with costs by a civil action by any person who
shall sue for it.
The offender shall also pay to the owner or tenant of the lands trespassed upon all
damages which he or they may have sustained thereby, to be appraised as provided in
section 4:20-22 of this Title, which damages shall be recovered by a civil action.
The owner of the trespassing horses, cattle or sheep shall be entitled to protection from
injury to such animals as provided in section 4:20-28 of this Title, and shall not be
liable to have his animals impounded, or be liable to an action for damages accruing
thereby.
4:20-26. Effect of failure to maintain fences on damages and impounding
An owner or possessor of land who shall fail to make and keep in good repair the fence or
fences about his own land as directed by this chapter, shall not have a cause of action
for damages caused by animals of another person which by reason of such failure shall
break in or enter into or upon such land, over or through such fence, nor shall such
animals be impounded. This section shall not apply to partition fences.
4:20-27. Effect of failure to maintain portion of partition fence
A person to whom a part or share of a partition fence is assigned to make or amend and
maintain as provided in this chapter, who shall neglect or refuse, after due notice, to
make and repair such part or share, shall be liable to make good all damages, to be
ascertained according to the directions of this chapter, caused by his own or the animals
of a third person which by reason of such neglect or refusal shall break in, enter into or
upon his neighbor's land, over or through such fence and his animals may be impounded and
held in pound until he shall pay the damages and all charges occasioned thereby as
provided in this chapter.
When the animals of a third person only have trespassed upon the neighbor's land by reason
of such neglect or refusal, the neighbor may sue for and recover his damages, with costs,
from the person so neglecting or refusing, in an action at law in any court of competent
jurisdiction.
When the animals of the neighbor who has made and maintained the part or share of the
partition fence assigned to him according to the directions of this chapter, or the
animals of a third person, shall trespass on the land of a person through that part of the
partition fence which he has neglected or refused to make or maintain, such neighbor or a
third person shall not be liable to have their animals impounded or be liable to an action
to recover damages accruing thereby.
4:20-28. Injuring animals trespassing for want of sufficient fence
An owner or possessor of land who is damaged for want of a lawful and sufficient fence and
who shall hurt or cause any horses, cattle or sheep to be hurt, wounded, lamed, killed or
destroyed, shall be liable to pay full damages to the owner of such animals, to be
recovered, with costs, in an action at law in any court of competent jurisdiction.
4:20-29. Damages to animals by barbed wire partition fences
A person who, without the consent of the adjoining landowner, shall erect a partition
fence of barbed wire or wire on which barbs or points are strung or fastened shall be
liable for all damages which may be caused thereby to the animals of the adjoining
landowner.
4:21-1. Right to impound animals running at large
A person may drive or convey to the public pound in a township, horses, cattle, sheep or
swine found running at large in the streets or highways of the township, and impound them.
4:21-2. Right to impound trespassing animals
A person who shall discover stray horses, cattle, sheep or swine upon his improved lands
in a township may drive or convey them to the public pound in the township.
4:21-3. Interference with impounding of animals; penalty
A person, having charge of horses, cattle, sheep or swine found running at large in the
streets or highways or trespassing upon the improved lands of another, who shall attempt
to hinder or take away such animals from a person taking or driving or attempting to take
or drive them to the pound; or a person who shall unlawfully drive from a public pound in
the township horses, cattle, sheep or swine which are therein impounded, shall be liable
to a penalty of fifteen dollars ($15.00) to be recovered in a civil action in a court of
competent jurisdiction by and for the use of any person prosecuting the suit.
4:21-4. Right to drive animals over streets and highways
Nothing in this article shall debar a person from driving horses, cattle, sheep or swine
along or over the streets or highways of a township to or from pasture, or from using the
streets or highways for the purpose of driving over them in any lawful way.
4:21-5. Fee for taking stray or trespassing animals to pound
For bringing horses, cattle, sheep or swine to the pound as authorized by sections 4:21-1
and 4:21-2 of this title, the person bringing them shall receive two dollars and fifty
cents per head from the poundkeeper to be by him collected from the owner as provided in
section 4:21-7 of this title.
4:21-6. Poundkeeper's fees
The poundkeeper shall have two dollars and fifty cents per head for letting in, two
dollars and fifty cents per head for letting out and fifty cents per day or part thereof
for feeding and keeping while in the pound.
4:21-7. Sale of impounded animals and disposition of proceeds
If the owner of cattle, horses, sheep or swine impounded as provided in sections 4:21-1
and 4:21-2 of this title, shall not pay the charges for impounding and keeping such
animals within five days after they are impounded, and take them away, the poundkeeper
shall give at least five days' notice of the intended sale of such animals by setting up
notices in five or more public places in the township.
If the owner shall not redeem the animals before the time so notified, the poundkeeper
shall sell them accordingly, either on the day so advertised or on the day to which the
sale may be publicly adjourned.
Out of the money arising from the sale the poundkeeper shall pay the charges of conveying
to and letting into the pound, keeping and feeding the animals and two dollars for
advertising and one dollar per head for selling them, and pay the surplus to the owner of
the animals if he shall appear and claim it within three months after the sale.
If the owner shall not appear within three months, the surplus shall be paid to the
overseer of the poor of the township for the use of the poor thereof.
4:21-11. Permitting stallion to run at large; penalty
A person who shall willfully or negligently suffer a stallion of the age of eighteen
months or over, of which he is the owner or keeper, to run at large out of the inclosed
ground of the owner or keeper, after having been notified thereof and been admonished to
confine such stallion, shall forfeit and pay the sum of ten dollars ($10.00), to be
recovered, with costs, by any person who shall sue for it, in a civil action, in any court
of competent jurisdiction.
48:12-46. Duty to erect and maintain; liability
Every railroad company shall erect and maintain fences on the sides of its road of the
height and strength of division fences required by law, with gates or barways at farm
crossings. Every such company shall also construct and maintain cattle guards at road
crossings sufficient to prevent cattle and other animals from getting on the railroad.
Until such fences and guards are erected the company shall be liable for damages done by
its trains to cattle or other animals straying on its railroad. Where such fences and
guards have been duly erected and maintained the company shall not be liable for such
damages unless negligently or willfully done.
48:12-47. Penalty for driving animals on tracks
Any person who shall ride, lead or drive any cattle, horses or other animals upon any
railroad protected by fences and guards as required by section 48:12- 46 of this title and
within such fences and guards elsewhere than at farm crossings, without the consent of the
company, shall, for every such offense, forfeit ten dollars and pay all damages sustained
thereby to the company, to be recovered in an action at law.
48:12-48. Speed of trains through cities where fence, embankment or cut is
maintained
Where any railroad company in any city shall maintain along its roadway where the same
adjoins a public highway, a fence or embankment four feet high and sufficiently close and
strong to prevent children and horses from going through the same, or where its tracks
shall be laid in a cut at least four feet deep, and shall provide on each side of the
track at any highway crossing in such city a gate of like height and sufficiency, and
cause the same to be closed at least half a minute before any train crosses such highway
and until the train shall have passed by, the company may run its trains in said city over
the portion of its railroad thus protected and over the portions not adjoining or crossing
any highway at such rate of speed it deems proper.
In the absence of such protection and safeguard the company shall be bound by lawful and
reasonable municipal ordinances regulating the speed of its trains along streets.
Reviewed by AAHS in December 2001.