As first reported here on FAA News, back in May 2023, tenants of Prime Apartment who were represented by Attorneys Ian Goldman, Adam Pfeffer, and Cassandra Distefano Esq. of Levin Shea Pfeffer and Goldman, served their landlord and his property manager with a Superior Court lawsuit alleging a long list of illegal rent increases, harassment, intimidation and retaliation.
Immediately following initiation of the lawsuit, the landlord filed a hardship rent increase application with the Lakewood Rent Control Board on the basis that he is bleeding money from this property and must raise rents simply in order to support the economic viability of the apartment complex.
The landlord noticed the neighbors that per the language of the Township's Ordinance, the Rent Control Board has to rule on the increase in 60 days or it is granted automatically. As the (non-existent) Board did not rule on the application by August 9, 2023, it became granted automatically retroactive to 30 days prior. As such, as of August 1, rents were increased to $2,483 as requested in the hardship application to the Rent Control Board.
As the news was broken here on FAA News, back in May 2024, Judge Valter Must tossed the lawsuit completely, agreeing with the landlord that; a) in all this time, the tenants failed to prove any of their allegations against their landlord; b) the Township's Rent Control Board ordinances, including the provisions permitting landlords to file for hardship related rent increases remains valid - despite the fact that the Township Committee abolished the Rent Control Board years ago to help "one of the boyz who was in some trouble," therefore as of August 1, 2023, rents were increased to $2,483 as requested in the hardship application to the Rent Control Board.
In all this time, numerous tenants still refuse to pay proper rent. Many of the tenants owe $20,000 in rent arrears based on Judge Must's ruling.
The tables are now being turned, with the landlord being the one to file lawsuits against all the tenants for the rent arrears.
Multiple delinquent tenants were served lawsuits just minutes ago.
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4 comments:
I don’t want to hear any kvetching from the yungeleit. I am proud of my work to abolish the rent control board.
It also doesn’t matter that it was Rav Schneur Kotler zt”l who pushed to establish the board. The way I allow the developers to destroy our town, it anyways isn’t in accord with Rav Schneur’s vision. So, I figured that we may as well throw in the towel too and destroy everything.
It’s nothing personal against the bnei torah. They’re just collateral damage.
My advice to them is that if they can’t afford the new rent amount, they should call consider moving out of Lakewood.
Why doesn't faa do an article about this sickness in jacksin of going and removing resale co because it costs sellers to much money to fix issues they did without permits and now what do we have
Costs have gone 500% higher to get co through fire dept
Until now we had 1 inspector and maybe 1 helper if needed and they did inspections within 2 days of request and if failed it didn't cost for reimsoect one time
And now we got we have to wait 15 days and pay more money and what do they have now they have 3 inspectors.
How does this all add up
It's heart warming to see Justice done. On the other hand it's painful to see Immature couples had to learn their lesson the hard way.
its elul lets try to do it with shalem!
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