New Jersey § 44:7-14

§ 44:7-14.

(a) Every county welfare board shall require, as a condition to granting assistance

in any case, that all or any part of the property, either real or personal, of a person

applying for old age assistance, be pledged to said county welfare board as a guaranty

for the reimbursement of the funds so granted as old age assistance pursuant to the

provisions of this chapter. The county welfare board shall take from each applicant a properly acknowledged

agreement to reimburse for all advances granted, and pursuant to such agreement, said

applicant shall assign to the welfare board, as collateral security for such advances,

all or any part of his personal property as the board shall specify. The agreement to reimburse shall provide that the filing of notice thereof as hereinafter

provided, is to have the same force and effect as a judgment of the Superior Court. It shall contain therein a release of dower or curtesy, as the case may be, of the

spouse of the recipient of old age assistance, and the spouse shall agree to reimburse

the county welfare board for all advances made to the recipient. Such release and joinder shall be as valid and effectual as if the spouse had joined

the recipient in a conveyance of the property to a third person, and the grant of

old age assistance, being contingent upon such joinder by the spouse, shall be good

and valuable consideration therefor. Old age assistance shall not be granted to any applicant without joinder by the

spouse in the agreement to reimburse except upon the showing of good and sufficient

cause as the State Division shall by regulation define. (b) Upon making a grant of old age assistance the county welfare board shall file

with the county clerk or register of deeds and mortgages, as the case may be, in any

county, a notice of the above mentioned agreement to reimburse, which notice as of

the date of such filing shall have the same effect as a lien by judgment of the Superior

Court, and any real estate or lands in which the recipient or spouse has a title or

interest, shall thereupon become charged and encumbered with a lien for old age assistance

granted the recipient and said notice shall have priority over all unrecorded encumbrances. No fees or costs shall be paid for filing such notices.