Baboghlian v. Swift Electrical Supply Co.

In this appeal, we determine whether the owner of a building, who voluntarily installs a fire alarm system, owes a nondelegable duty to comply with certain provisions of the Uniform Fire Code (Code), N.J.A.C. 5:70-1.1 to -4.20. Plaintiffs sued defendants, their next-door neighbors, alleging that they were negligent in failing to apply for a permit to install their fire alarm system and in failing to properly maintain the system, causing the delayed warning of a fire that destroyed both defendants’ and plaintiffs’ properties. The jury found defendants negligent, but that their negligence was…