N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:44-49

Property retained by the hotel, apartment hotel, inn or boarding house proprietor under this article may be sold at public auction upon a notice published for 3 days in a newspaper circulating in the municipality wherein said hotel, apartment hotel, inn or boarding house is kept. The proceeds of the sale after the deduction of the expenses thereof shall be applied to the payment of the indebtedness and the balance, if any, shall be paid over to the owner of such property or his representative. The balance, if not claimed by such owner or his representative within 30 days after such sale, shall be paid to the municipality for the support of the poor.