Since its inception, the New Jersey Home Warranty and Builders’ Registration Act, N.J.S.A. 46:3B-1 to -20, has proven to be more of a trap for new homeowners than the safety net it was purported to be. The purpose of the act is to establish a program requiring that newly constructed homes conform to certain construction and quality standards, as well as to provide buyers of new homes with insurance-backed warranty protection in the event such standards are not met. While the intent of the act is to provide homeowners with a prompt, convenient and cost-saving means of resolving disputes concerning construction defects, in reality, its effect has been, in many cases, to strip homeowners of any meaningful means of recovery for discovered construction defects.
Pursuant to the act, all builders must be registered with the New Jersey Department of Consumer Affairs in order to engage in the business of constructing and selling new homes. The act further requires that builders provide owners with a new home warranty by either participating in the New Home Warranty Security Fund or an acceptable alternative program. The builders are then required to provide new home-owners with a warranty that affords coverage and protection against defects, falling within three time-sensitive categories:
