Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 44:1-87

  • Overseer: means a person who is charged with the superintendence and relief or removal of the poor within the overseer's jurisdiction or found in the overseer's municipality, and means superintendent in all cases where a superintendent as defined in this section is authorized to act when there is no overseer. See New Jersey Statutes 44:1-1
  • person: includes corporations, companies, associations, societies, firms, partnerships and joint stock companies as well as individuals, unless restricted by the context to an individual as distinguished from a corporate entity or specifically restricted to one or some of the above enumerated synonyms and, when used to designate the owner of property which may be the subject of an offense, includes this State, the United States, any other State of the United States as defined infra and any foreign country or government lawfully owning or possessing property within this State. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
  • Poor person: means one who is unable to maintain himself or those dependent upon him. See New Jersey Statutes 44:1-1
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
When a person shall apply for relief for himself or another to an overseer or deputy, the overseer shall inquire into the facts, conditions and circumstances of the case, and also into the matter of the person’s settlement if it shall appear that the person is unable to earn a livelihood by his own labor and is a poor person and requires temporary or permanent relief.

The overseer shall also ascertain the direct or indirect causes of poverty, and whether or not the person requiring permanent relief is without adequate home or without children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, or husband who are by law required and able to maintain him and other persons who are willing to do so.