Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 12:3-42

  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • State: extends to and includes any State, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia and the Canal Zone. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
The board may, in reaching its conclusion that it is equitable and just to confirm in a present riparian owner title to lands now or formerly under tidal waters which he has acquired through any previous lease or grant of the state, determine that it is equitable and just if it determines that:

a. The consideration paid for the original lease or grant was at the date of its execution full and adequate consideration for the lands so leased or granted;

b. The lands leased or granted lie in front of the ripa on which the lease or grant was based because the lands under water in the vicinity of the lands under consideration have been equitably apportioned to the riparian owners by any agency authorized by law to make grants of land under tidal waters in the name of the state and the lands under consideration are within the area of the lands under water so apportioned to the lands owned by the petitioner, and provide reasonable access to riparian owners to deep water beyond bulkhead and pierhead lines;

c. The lands leased or granted lie in front of the riparian lands of the petitioner because the lands so leased or granted constitute an equitable allotment or apportionment of the lands under water to the riparian lands to which they are attached, even though the boundaries defining the limits of the lands granted are irregular and do not constitute straight side lines running parallel to each other and extending from the shore to the bulkhead or pierhead lines, and provide reasonable access to riparian owners to deep water beyond bulkhead and pierhead lines; and

d. The owner of all estates, rights and privileges under the lease or grant to be confirmed to the extent of the lands under water to be defined in a confirmatory lease or grant is the petitioning owner of riparian lands to be benefited on the date the petition is filed, or at the date of the finding of the board that it is equitable and just that a confirmatory lease or grant shall be executed.