BANQUET HALL LITIGATION HAS ALREADY COST LAKEWOOD TAXPAYERS OVER $200K





Lake Terrace has been embattled in ongoing litigation since November 2020 when their neighbors, represented by Attorney Rob Shea Esq., filed a lawsuit against them for not having ever received Township Zoning Board approval for a banquet hall.


Bnos Brocha was also embattled with litigation. Their banquet hall has since been shut down by a judge.


The Township of Lakewood is also defendant to all of this litigation, including a lawsuit which seeks to overturn the ordinance the Township Committee enacted to legalize Bnos Brocha's simcha hall.


Therefore, in addition to Lake Terrace and Bnos Brocha paying for their own legal fees, Lakewood's taxpayers have been forking over the Township's legal bills.


A review of those legal invoices indicates that the taxpayers have already paid $211,060.25 for this noble fight (which has no end in sight).


The breakdown of the lawyers fees is as follows:


Steven Secare and Harold Hensel

12/03/20 $175

2/03/21 $175

7/30/21 $175

8/31/21 $35

8/31/21 $35

8/31/21 $35


Jean Cipriani

12419 $15,645

15329 $1,680

15331 $585

15576 $2,895

13849 $1,170

15327 $75

15575 $270

15652 $300

15653 $1,020

15655 $165

13707 $1,440

14640 $345

12417 $8,640

12418 $2,970

12420 $3,645

12484 $4,710

12485 $645

12486 $945

12487 $8,220

12628 $885

12629 $2,835

12630 $75

12754 $285

12755 $1,260

12756 $6,045

12757 $240

12832 $120

12833 $2,655

12834 $8,820

12835 $30

13018 $1,785

13020 $3,675

13021 $5,385

13022 $30

13120 $3,030

13276 $465

13277 $2,580

13278 $5,790

13279 $3,060

13390 $1,140

13391 $60

13392 $2,535

13393 $6,735

13394 $1,260

13531 $2,040

13533 $5,745

13534 $5,805

13535 $390

13633 $1,725

13635 $5,055

13636 $4,185

13637 $960

13706 $2,205

13709 $1,845

13710 $1,515

13850 $4,965

14001 $555

14002 $3,570

14003 $960

14004 $2,775

14005 $120

14113 $330

14114 $1,020

14116 $30

14117 $705

14118 $720

14265 $270

14266 $480

14267 $825

14268 $3,705

14423 $60

14424 $270

14425 $1,425

14426 $285

14638 $60

14825 $180

14826 $60

14827 $225

14828 $3,105

14829 $3,180

14995 $1,245

14996 $2,895

14997 $435

15230 $450

15231 $960

15232 $1,680

15233 $240

15234 $420

15572 $300

15573 $810

15574 $855

15576 $2,895


John Jackson - Planning Board 

2/07/23 $217.50

3/14/23 $36.25

3/14/23 $978.75

4/25/23 $362.50

4/25/23 $725

5/23/23 $72.50

5/23/23 $107.50

6/20/23 $14.50

6/20/23 $326.25

6/20/23 $725

7/11/23 $29

7/11/23 $145

8/22/23 $688.75

8/22/23 $72.50

9/19/23 $217.50

10/10/23 $406

11/14/23 $543.75


John Jackson - Zoning Board

8/16/2023 $688.75

10/03/2023 $688.75

12/05/2023 $833.75


Jerry Dasti 

11/29/2022 $102

1/06/2023 $442

1/30/2023 $360

1/30/2023 $324

6/28/2023 $144

7/07/2023 $1,237

7/07/2023 $468

7/25/2023 $216

8/02/2023 $2,148

9/07/2023 $3,329.50

9/07/2023 $72

9/17/2023 $108

10/09/2023 $1,229.25

10/31/2023 $144

11/03/2023 $1,548


Totals

Secare and Hensel $630

Jean Cipriani $190,680

John Jackson - PB $5,667.25

John Jackson - ZB $2,211.25

Jerry Dasti $11,871.75


Grand total: $211,060.25


Ironically, all this litigation - which the taxpayers continue to pay for - is based simply because the Township refused to enforce its own ordinances.


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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

About the cost of 1-2 balabatishe hiemishe chasunas .

Not such a big deal

Anonymous said...

So basically, if someone wishes to do the townspeople a favor, he will do what he can to stop the lawsuit.
And he certainly won't be the one to instigate or help the lawsuit in any way.

Gotcha!

Anonymous said...

Jean Cipriani was the Jackson Township attorney in 2017 when the Council adopted the infamous discriminatory ordinances.

She also defended the Township for 2 years against Agudath Israel's lawsuit.

I doubt she deserves so much of unzere gelt.

Anonymous said...

Zoning,Development,Building,Planing Boards all to blame for passing the buck instead of doing the right thing.Not olny in Lakewood but surrounding towns(Brick,Toms River and Jackson.Laws are laws and we bend them for no one.Judge Hodgson is the ring leader because this clown undid everything Judge Lynch Ford put into place.So if you ever want to see a circus don't pay for a ticket.Just go to any town hall meeting in any boarding towns.Its a joke and it sickens every US citizen.

ab said...

How is this the town's fault. The other side is throwing lawsuits, many with little merit, and we have no option but to defend them. The township tried ending the issue by giving them the proper permits.