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Post by novillero on May 6, 2008 15:10:01 GMT -5
Hopefully, a few minutes will be spent letting Landlords know that it is a Federal Felony, under 8 USC 1324(a) to provide shelter to an illegal alien or to knowingly, or in disregard of the facts, induce an illegal alien to enter or stay in the United States -- which case law indicates includes providing housing and shelter to illegal aliens. (As long as someone is covering federal law -- might as well through that one in.) Rich, you should do stand-up here in Freehold. That was a real knee-slapper! Tonight, after everyone is seated, Hank Stryker should stand in the doorway with his most serious expression, while Kerry Higgins sticks her head out the window and yells out "Immigration, they are in here!" and see what sort of hilarity ensues. (wasn't there a video like that?) |
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Post by admin on May 6, 2008 15:32:09 GMT -5
Hopefully, a few minutes will be spent letting Landlords know that it is a Federal Felony, under 8 USC 1324(a) to provide shelter to an illegal alien or to knowingly, or in disregard of the facts, induce an illegal alien to enter or stay in the United States -- which case law indicates includes providing housing and shelter to illegal aliens. (As long as someone is covering federal law -- might as well through that one in.) Rich, you should do stand-up here in Freehold. That was a real knee-slapper! Tonight, after everyone is seated, Hank Stryker should stand in the doorway with his most serious expression, while Kerry Higgins sticks her head out the window and yells out "Immigration, they are in here!" and see what sort of hilarity ensues. (wasn't there a video like that?) That could be funny, especially if me, Marc, Fiber and a number of upstanding citizens get picked up and deported. |
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Post by richardkelsey on May 6, 2008 16:12:41 GMT -5
Hopefully, a few minutes will be spent letting Landlords know that it is a Federal Felony, under 8 USC 1324(a) to provide shelter to an illegal alien or to knowingly, or in disregard of the facts, induce an illegal alien to enter or stay in the United States -- which case law indicates includes providing housing and shelter to illegal aliens. (As long as someone is covering federal law -- might as well through that one in.) Rich, you should do stand-up here in Freehold. That was a real knee-slapper! Tonight, after everyone is seated, Hank Stryker should stand in the doorway with his most serious expression, while Kerry Higgins sticks her head out the window and yells out "Immigration, they are in here!" and see what sort of hilarity ensues. (wasn't there a video like that?) You know what would be funny -- show up tonight with ten people -- fresh cropped hair cuts, all wear ICE T-Shirts. Actually -- the Borough should buy a few thousand -- mail them to owner occupied homes -- and encourage daily wearing. |
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Post by fiberisgoodforyou on May 6, 2008 16:33:10 GMT -5
Rich, you should do stand-up here in Freehold. That was a real knee-slapper! Tonight, after everyone is seated, Hank Stryker should stand in the doorway with his most serious expression, while Kerry Higgins sticks her head out the window and yells out "Immigration, they are in here!" and see what sort of hilarity ensues. (wasn't there a video like that?) You know what would be funny -- show up tonight with ten people -- fresh cropped hair cuts, all wear ICE T-Shirts. Actually -- the Borough should buy a few thousand -- mail them to owner occupied homes -- and encourage daily wearing. I'll read your recommendations into the minutes!  |
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Post by shorty on May 6, 2008 23:44:44 GMT -5
 what a town- try selling a home here..... forget it !
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Post by shorty on May 6, 2008 23:49:25 GMT -5
 you know, residents are getting tired of the same old lies that this town is going to change..... Remove those Rose colored glasses and see it for what it is..... the town is crumbling... get mad, get angry...voice your feelings. oh Im sorry.... that would be childish? and I agree with Fiber, If you do NOT reside here you shouldnt comment or "preach"!
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adefonzo
Junior Member
If I can see further than some, it's because I have stood on the shoulders of giants
Posts: 308
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Post by adefonzo on May 7, 2008 5:12:15 GMT -5
Wow...after all that hype...I am dying to hear how that meeting went last night...unfortunately, I couldn't get home from work in time to get over there, so I had to miss it...hopefully someone will fill us in on how the meeting went and if some of the questions brought up on this page, were answered...
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Post by admin on May 7, 2008 5:57:44 GMT -5
Wow...after all that hype...I am dying to hear how that meeting went last night...unfortunately, I couldn't get home from work in time to get over there, so I had to miss it...hopefully someone will fill us in on how the meeting went and if some of the questions brought up on this page, were answered... ask and ye shall receive..... On the whole, I think last night was a good forum. I do suspect that many interested parties last night are certainly readers of this site. The first order of business came from Reverend Parrish who made clear that the forum is an informational session, not a complaint forum. AS I predicted, it was a very civil event. All attendees were genuine and sane in their conduct. I would estimate about thirty to forty people showed. I had hopes to see more, but I always say that about every meeting, don't I? At the meetings beginning there was only one tenant in attendance. A couple more trickled in as the meeting went on. There were a few landlords. From what I could tell they were of the good variety, not the slumlord variety. And of course there were people of interest who care about all of these issues. Most were familiar faces, which is typical and reflects the need to get new faces out to meetings. The APP and the News Transcript were both present. There were, of course, a number of advocates for the tenant population, none of whom live in the borough. ( of course) The actual forum was well run and broken down into three sections. The first was a lawyer from Long Branch, named Jaquelin Biddle. She did a presentation on the basic rights and responsibilities of both landlords and tenants. I thought her presentation was too basic and did not get much from it. Maybe others did, but she did well. The second part was Borough Attorney Kerry Higgins. I thought she did very well. She was able to really talk a lot more about borough specific issues. Kerry also fielded a lot of questions and I thought did good in answering. Some of her topics included evictions, registration and subletting. The third part of the meeting fed off of what Kerry started. We had Hank Stryker give his presentation and he was accompanied by all three of his subordinates. They went into detail about the inspection and complaint processes. The public who did attend were full of questions. All were civil and engaged in this forum. For the most part I think that the answers were upfront, honest, and complete. On the whole, the HRC did A very good job with this. Like I mentioned, it would have been nice to see more residents there. I really thought we would at least see more tenants. The lack of turnout from them was surprisingly low. I did receive constructive feedback from some that this forum was not well advertised. I know that there will be a follow up forum dealing more with complaints and the actual code enforcement process. Some of the questions last night bordered on that topic and there was an effort to keep the subjects focused on what last night was about-- tenants and landlords. I look very forward to the next one. |
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Post by fiberisgoodforyou on May 7, 2008 6:56:09 GMT -5
"LEADERS" from the Mr and Ms Laz from LLA and and the Muster zone Food/Organizing lady from Casa Freehold were in attendance. The meeting started out with ONLY ONE TENANT in attendance and about three or four landlords. By the time the meeting ended I counted maybe four of five tenants and...three or four landlords..., out of 1900 rental properties. Observation, why would ANY slum lord attend any public meeting other than a court order appearance in front of a judge? Wow...after all that hype...I am dying to hear how that meeting went last night...unfortunately, I couldn't get home from work in time to get over there, so I had to miss it...hopefully someone will fill us in on how the meeting went and if some of the questions brought up on this page, were answered... ask and ye shall receive..... On the whole, I think last night was a good forum. I do suspect that many interested parties last night are certainly readers of this site. The first order of business came from Reverend Parrish who made clear that the forum is an informational session, not a complaint forum. AS I predicted, it was a very civil event. All attendees were genuine and sane in their conduct. I would estimate about thirty to forty people showed. I had hopes to see more, but I always say that about every meeting, don't I? At the meetings beginning there was only one tenant in attendance. A couple more trickled in as the meeting went on. There were a few landlords. From what I could tell they were of the good variety, not the slumlord variety. And of course there were people of interest who care about all of these issues. Most were familiar faces, which is typical and reflects the need to get new faces out to meetings. The APP and the News Transcript were both present. There were, of course, a number of advocates for the tenant population, none of whom live in the borough. ( of course) The actual forum was well run and broken down into three sections. The first was a lawyer from Long Branch, named Jaquelin Biddle. She did a presentation on the basic rights and responsibilities of both landlords and tenants. I thought her presentation was too basic and did not get much from it. Maybe others did, but she did well. The second part was Borough Attorney Kerry Higgins. I thought she did very well. She was able to really talk a lot more about borough specific issues. Kerry also fielded a lot of questions and I thought did good in answering. Some of her topics included evictions, registration and subletting. The third part of the meeting fed off of what Kerry started. We had Hank Stryker give his presentation and he was accompanied by all three of his subordinates. They went into detail about the inspection and complaint processes. The public who did attend were full of questions. All were civil and engaged in this forum. For the most part I think that the answers were upfront, honest, and complete. On the whole, the HRC did A very good job with this. Like I mentioned, it would have been nice to see more residents there. I really thought we would at least see more tenants. The lack of turnout from them was surprisingly low. I did receive constructive feedback from some that this forum was not well advertised. I know that there will be a follow up forum dealing more with complaints and the actual code enforcement process. Some of the questions last night bordered on that topic and there was an effort to keep the subjects focused on what last night was about-- tenants and landlords. I look very forward to the next one. |
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Post by fiberisgoodforyou on May 7, 2008 9:14:21 GMT -5
Looks like Ted and I are in agreement with this one. Why would any slumlord attend? They don't want to be noticed. As far as the (illegal) tenants. They will read about this in the paper as they don't want to be noticed either. The forum that I will attend is the code enforcement session. Maybe the Boro should rent of the school cafeteria. We WHAT, I need a nitro pill??? BTW, aside from the obvious overcrowded residence..., how else would you (or anyone for that matter) define "illegal" tenant? Now instead of renting the school gym, if the weather is nice, how about having the meeting out doors, say...the parking lot at Post and Coach, Or Spring Terrace Apts??? |
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Post by fiberisgoodforyou on May 7, 2008 9:46:36 GMT -5
Let me be clear about what I mean here, anyone from anywhere can say anything they chose, its called freedom of speech. My point is simple, someone who has Zero investment, IE vested interest is in no position to, and no right to tell someone with an investment, IE vested interest about how they should or should not communicate on matters related to their investment. Nice to volunteer efforts and contributing to the municipal governments communications to the public, but no one has the right to tell individuals how to communicate. If they end up sounding like an articulate intelligent voice with a strong opinion, or sounding like a horses poop-portal we are entitled to sound off. It is always wise to cross your "T"'s and dot your "i"'s, mean what you say, know your facts and do not be despicably malicious or libelous. and I agree with Fiber, If you do NOT reside here you shouldn't comment or "preach"! |
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Post by novillero on May 7, 2008 10:57:05 GMT -5
Rita (Senora Dunkin Dnout) Dentino needs to seek professional psychiatric help; there is simply no pleasing her.
By Jove, even Laz Cardenas was happy with the boro!.
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Post by fiberisgoodforyou on May 7, 2008 11:22:20 GMT -5
www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080507/NEWS02/80507014/1285/LOCAL09But Rita Dentino of Casa Freehold and a handful of Latinos … none of whom gave their names … expressed continued frustration over what they saw as aggressive practices by code enforcement officials and landlords. Two big issues for renters, said Dentino, are tenants being forced to move out quickly and tenants not getting their security deposits back.Dentino looked forward to the second forum, which will address complaints. As for Tuesday's meeting, she said, “I didn't see anything new, really.'' When there are 12 people living in space where only five are permitted to live, (AS per code), yes people will be forced to leave quickly. Both Hank and Kerry pointed out that regardless of your immigration status, tenants have rights, and are encouraged (again per Hank and Kerry again ) to reach out to their ADVOCATES to stand up for their rights as tenants, so...if Dentino complains about "BAD" landlords, that is due to her ineffective advocacy. Its all part of the Renters Bill of Rights (I will post shortly). This is very basic and essential knowledge for an effective advocate, and after sooooo many years of being an advocate and not knowing process and procedure for actions to take against "BAD" landlords am shocked. There is more to advocacy that support of a muster zone and beating up on a municipal government. |
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Post by fiberisgoodforyou on May 7, 2008 11:27:57 GMT -5
Dear advocates, have your constituents received their Tenant Homestead Rebates from their landlords (ever)? www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/pdf/other_forms/tgi-ee/2006/061040tri.pdfTenant Homestead Rebate: July 2007 The following is information regarding the Tax Rebate for tenants that NJTO was able to win up to the present time. It is just the beginning of the struggle to get the rebate to which tenants are entitled. The amount of money allocated for Tenant Homestead Rebates (for the property tax paid in 2006 through our rents) has been doubled. Although tenants who earn less than $100,000 a year are eligible, if they live in buildings that pay property taxes (not payments in lieu of taxes), most of the increased money has been put into the income levels below $50,000. Filing deadline: Aug. 15, 2007 (most tenants have already filed with their NJ Gross Income Tax returns.) For more information, see the State of NJ Division of Taxation Website at www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/ Or click ------- Although it is very important that this program recognizes that tenants pay property taxes through their rents (approximately 18% of the rent on average is recognized by this law as going to pay property taxes), and the amount of the benefits have been increased, these benefits are still very discriminatory. Home owners still get a much higher percentage of their taxes rebated than do tenants. We have much work to do before this program can be considered fair. |
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Post by fiberisgoodforyou on May 7, 2008 11:43:06 GMT -5
Tenants' Rights in New Jersey Chapter Index Following is the Web version of Tenants' Rights in New Jersey, Legal Services of New Jersey’s guide to landlord-tenant law for New Jersey residents. The manual includes chapters on finding a place to live, security deposits, leases, rent increases, the responsibilities of landlords and tenants, legal and illegal evictions, condo and co-op conversions, and the right to safe and decent housing. For information about ordering the printed version, visit the LSNJ.org publications page, e-mail publications@lsnj.org, or contact Legal Services of New Jersey at 732-572-9100. The printed manual is free of charge to Legal Services clients and people with low incomes. If you call LSNJ-LAW™, Legal Services of New Jersey's statewide, toll-free legal hotline, at 1-888-576-5529, between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., a hotline intake staff member will determine if you are Legal Services-eligible. If you are eligible, the hotline will mail you a copy. The entire document can be found @ www.lsnjlaw.org/english/placeilive/irentmyhome/tenantsrights/ |
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Post by admin on May 7, 2008 17:05:03 GMT -5
Rita (Senora Dunkin Dnout) Dentino needs to seek professional psychiatric help; there is simply no pleasing her. By Jove, even Laz Cardenas was happy with the boro!. The part about needing psyciatric help was not needed. We should avoid personal attacks like that. The part about not being able to please appears to be well founded. |
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Post by shorty on May 7, 2008 21:01:37 GMT -5
Your right, personal attacks- not cool.... lets focus on drive by shootings in the borough, the bullying over at the intermediate school which led to a 6th grader bringing in a knife for "protection" or the boys who poked and prodded the harmless baby rabbit on the playground at PAE leaving it to die yesterday!
What is this towns elected doing to "PROTECT OUR RIGHTS" or in Protecting us ?
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cloris
Novice
Power to the peeps!
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Post by cloris on May 8, 2008 20:21:45 GMT -5
Let me be clear about what I mean here, anyone from anywhere can say anything they chose, its called freedom of speech. My point is simple, someone who has Zero investment, IE vested interest is in no position to, and no right to tell someone with an investment, IE vested interest about how they should or should not communicate on matters related to their investment. Nice to volunteer efforts and contributing to the municipal governments communications to the public, but no one has the right to tell individuals how to communicate. If they end up sounding like an articulate intelligent voice with a strong opinion, or sounding like a horses poop-portal we are entitled to sound off. It is always wise to cross your "T"'s and dot your "i"'s, mean what you say, know your facts and do not be despicably malicious or libelous. and I agree with Fiber, If you do NOT reside here you shouldn't comment or "preach"! What is the reason for this and what does it have to do with a forum? You sound like a very angry person. |
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Post by richardkelsey on May 12, 2008 14:14:51 GMT -5
www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080507/NEWS02/80507014/1285/LOCAL09May 7, 2008 Forum on landlord, tenant issues; rights and responsibilities By KIM PREDHAM FREEHOLD BUREAU Overcrowding, incorrectly placed extension cords and garbage left out too long are just a few of the issues that code enforcement officers in the borough deal with on a regular basis, according to Code Enforcement Director Henry “Hank'' Stryker III. “We've found people sleeping in closets, with candles burning in the same closet,'' Stryker told a crowd at Borough Hall Tuesday night. To address issues like this, the borough's Human Relations Committee hosted the first of two forums Tuesday dealing with problems that arise from the town's approximately 1,900 rental properties. About 30 people attended the forum Tuesday, including several landlords and renters. Spanish-speaking translators were scattered around the room helping some participants understand the proceedings. Long Branch attorney Jackeline Biddle began Tuesday's forum with a discussion of the respective rights and obligations of renters and landlords. Renters, for example, have a right to live in a habitable dwelling. They also have obligations, however, to maintain the home, repair damage they caused and pay their rent on time, she said. Landlords have the right to enter a rental premises, though they must give advance notice, Biddle said. They have several obligations to the renters, including responsibilities to care for the rental property. Landlords must also follow proper eviction procedures, an important point because … according to some in the audience … landlords have been known to order tenants out, sometimes threatening Latinos with deportation if they fail to leave quickly. In most cases, landlords are prohibited from making such evictions before the end of a lease, said Borough Attorney Kerry Higgins. Generally, landlords must first file a notice to cease, then a notice to quit. The landlord can then bring an eviction complaint, Higgins said. The amount of time the landlord must wait before bringing a complaint varies depending on the reason for eviction. If a landlord threatens a renter, the tenant can call the police, Higgins said. “I thought it (the forum) went very well,'' said Councilman Jaye Sims, the council liaison to the Human Relations Committee. Sims was encouraged by the amount of questions from audience members, and what he called the positive dialogue between speakers and the audience, he said, “If nothing else, I think a lot of information was exchanged (Tuesday),'' said Sims. Lazaro Cardenas, member of the Latino Leadership Alliance, also thought the meeting went well. “It (the forum) is a good way to reach out to the community and say, "Here are your rights and responsibilities,'‚'' said Cardenas. But Rita Dentino of Casa Freehold and a handful of Latinos … none of whom gave their names … expressed continued frustration over what they saw as aggressive practices by code enforcement officials and landlords. Two big issues for renters, said Dentino, are tenants being forced to move out quickly and tenants not getting their security deposits back. Dentino looked forward to the second forum, which will address complaints. As for Tuesday's meeting, she said, “I didn't see anything new, really.'' This seems like it was an interesting an informative forum. They seem to have skipped my suggested discussion of the anti-harboring provisions of 8 USC 1324(a). Those provisions would have been perfectly appropriate for discussion. Kerry Higgins, of course, is a very bright, experienced, and capable attorney, so I am not surprised that she did well. I was not familiar with the other lawyer listed in the article, nor her expertise -- so I looked her up. (I figured she was probably a specialist in NJ landlord tenant law.) What I found -- was interesting. She is obviously a very hardworking woman. From her webpage: www.jbiddleassociates.com/attorneybio.htmlEducational Background: In 2000, she earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Rutgers, The State University School of Law in Newark, New Jersey. While in law school she was a Research Editor for the Woman's Rights Law Reporter, Class Representative of the Student Bar Association, Judicial Intern to The Honorable Robert W. O' Hagan, J.S.C. in Freehold, New Jersey, Research Assistant to Professor Cynthia Dennis, and Student Clinician in the Women & AIDS Litigation Clinic. Law Licensure: She is a Member of the New Jersey and New York Bars. In 1995, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) from Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. While at Monmouth she had the distinction of being named on the Dean's list and inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society. In 1991, she earned an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Nursing from Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, New Jersey where she had the honor of being named on the Dean's list. Nursing Licensure: New Jersey Registered Nurse. Law Licensure: Member of New Jersey and new York Bars. Professional Experience: Nursing Career: While in law school, she was an Intensive Care Unit (I.C.U.)staff nurse at Robert Wood JohnsonUniversity Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey. She is presently an ICU staff nurse at The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (U.M.D.N.J.) Hospital in Newark, New Jersey. Nursing Presentations: Defensive Nursing: How to Minimize Your Liability and Legal Aspects of Delegation. Law Career: Her legal career began as a Medical Malpractice Associate at Lynch Martin in North Brunswick, New Jersey. At Lynch Martin, Ms. Biddle learned the art of personal injury litigation and resolved different types of personal injury cases. She also successfully argued before the Appellate Division protecting the rights of a minor in a social host liability case in the published Opinion Camp v. Lummino, 352 N.J. Super. 414 (App. Div. 2002), Ms. Biddle is presently a Criminal Defense Pool Attorney for the Office of the Public Defender in Monmouth County handling adult and juvenile matters. She is also a Medical/ Legal Consultant for other Attorneys. Academic Experience: She has served as an Adjunct Professor in the Legal Studies Department at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, New Jersey. Professional Affiliations: She is a member of the The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA), New Jersey State Bar Association, the Monmouth County Bar Association, the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey, the Association of Black Women Lawyers, member of the Long Branch Chamber of Commerce and a Graduate of the Haydn Proctor Inn of Court in Monmouth County. Foreign Language: Fluent in Spanish. Legal Presentations: Legal Issues in Nursing, West Long Branch, New Jersey, Medcial Records Review for Criminal Defense Lawyers, Freehold, New Jersey, Health Care Law Issues Seminar at Rutgers Law School in Newark, New Jersey, Health Care Panelist for the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey 2003 Women's Conference at Seton Hall Law School in Newark, New Jersey, and Legal Issues in Healthcare Panelist for the 2006 Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey Women's Leadership Conference at Rutgers Law School in Newark, New Jersey. Honors/ Awards: 2005 Recepient of The Wilbur Rae Service Award for Healthcare; Recepient of a Joint Legislative Resolution for community service from the State House in Trenton, New Jersey; Recepient of a City of Long Branch Proclamation deeming "March 11, 2005 Jackeline Biddle Day" in Long Branch, New Jersey; Recepient of the Brookdale Community College 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award, Lincroft, New Jersey. Community Involvement: Board Member of the Family and Children's Services in Long Branch, New Jersey; Member and Mentor Day Program Chairperson for the Monmouth County Cotillion Committee in Monmouth County, New Jersey; Board Member of the Brookdale Community College Alumni Association; and Deputy Director of the Monmouth County Chapter Eastern Area of Latino Leadership Alliance-NJ in Freehold, New Jersey; Board member of the United Way of Monmouth County and member of The Junior League of Monmouth County. |
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adefonzo
Junior Member
If I can see further than some, it's because I have stood on the shoulders of giants
Posts: 308
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Post by adefonzo on May 12, 2008 15:02:44 GMT -5
www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080507/NEWS02/80507014/1285/LOCAL09May 7, 2008 Forum on landlord, tenant issues; rights and responsibilities By KIM PREDHAM FREEHOLD BUREAU Overcrowding, incorrectly placed extension cords and garbage left out too long are just a few of the issues that code enforcement officers in the borough deal with on a regular basis, according to Code Enforcement Director Henry “Hank'' Stryker III. “We've found people sleeping in closets, with candles burning in the same closet,'' Stryker told a crowd at Borough Hall Tuesday night. To address issues like this, the borough's Human Relations Committee hosted the first of two forums Tuesday dealing with problems that arise from the town's approximately 1,900 rental properties. About 30 people attended the forum Tuesday, including several landlords and renters. Spanish-speaking translators were scattered around the room helping some participants understand the proceedings. Long Branch attorney Jackeline Biddle began Tuesday's forum with a discussion of the respective rights and obligations of renters and landlords. Renters, for example, have a right to live in a habitable dwelling. They also have obligations, however, to maintain the home, repair damage they caused and pay their rent on time, she said. Landlords have the right to enter a rental premises, though they must give advance notice, Biddle said. They have several obligations to the renters, including responsibilities to care for the rental property. Landlords must also follow proper eviction procedures, an important point because … according to some in the audience … landlords have been known to order tenants out, sometimes threatening Latinos with deportation if they fail to leave quickly. In most cases, landlords are prohibited from making such evictions before the end of a lease, said Borough Attorney Kerry Higgins. Generally, landlords must first file a notice to cease, then a notice to quit. The landlord can then bring an eviction complaint, Higgins said. The amount of time the landlord must wait before bringing a complaint varies depending on the reason for eviction. If a landlord threatens a renter, the tenant can call the police, Higgins said. “I thought it (the forum) went very well,'' said Councilman Jaye Sims, the council liaison to the Human Relations Committee. Sims was encouraged by the amount of questions from audience members, and what he called the positive dialogue between speakers and the audience, he said, “If nothing else, I think a lot of information was exchanged (Tuesday),'' said Sims. Lazaro Cardenas, member of the Latino Leadership Alliance, also thought the meeting went well. “It (the forum) is a good way to reach out to the community and say, "Here are your rights and responsibilities,'‚'' said Cardenas. But Rita Dentino of Casa Freehold and a handful of Latinos … none of whom gave their names … expressed continued frustration over what they saw as aggressive practices by code enforcement officials and landlords. Two big issues for renters, said Dentino, are tenants being forced to move out quickly and tenants not getting their security deposits back. Dentino looked forward to the second forum, which will address complaints. As for Tuesday's meeting, she said, “I didn't see anything new, really.'' It sounds like it was an interesting night...sorry I missed it. There is one thing that has jumped right out at me from reading this article, and complaints that are still coming from tenants...and I am wondering if it was brought up at the forum, perhaps someone can let me know... I am curious as to what rights someone has who lives in a home, pays "rent", but has no lease? I ask because I don't think it will come as a surprise to anyone that a major problem is overcrowding of these rental units (hence people sleeping in closets). Now...I find it hard to believe that it would be legal for a landlord to be renting out to 10 different people for the same property...so I am guessing that many people who are living in these homes are not protected by any sort of lease. Therefore, I question what rights they would have? Would a landlord really have to go through all of the described steps to evict someone who does not have a lease? If a renter put down a security deposit, but did not get any paperwork or a lease to back it up...what grounds do they have to get that back? Perhaps a lot of the "complaints" that Rita Dentino are referring to are complaints from illegitimate renters? This is an issue that I would think the town can really crack down on. They should be able to go after the landlords for allowing overcrowding in the units. Admittedly I know very little about rental codes and laws...I will have to do some research...but it seems that a house can be determined to hold a certain number of people safely...if by some miracle, there are more than that many leases on a property, then the town should certainly be able to step in and do something...if code enforcement finds more people living there than who are listed on the lease, or more than should be able to live in that house "safely", there should be a process in place to deal with the landlords and the tenants who are essentially "squatting" on that property. |
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Post by novillero on May 12, 2008 15:17:26 GMT -5
Jackie Biddle, a non-issue for me. If she wants to volunteer for this, let her. The forum was to educate, nothing more.
thinking back on Rita Dentino. I find it funny that with Jackie Biddle, and the members of the HRC, which includes people that actively helped her and her cause as well as a guy from Casa Freehold, that Dunkin Donut Dentinon still isn't happy with the event!
As to leases, you technically don't need a lease to live somewhere. It helps define your rights, but many people are holdover tenants from when the first lease expired. People living somewhere without a lease have the same rights under the statutes as someone with a lease.
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Post by lisas84 on May 12, 2008 16:08:36 GMT -5
Andrew,
You brought up an interesting point. I remember when I lived in Stonehurst, the apartment next to me was a flow-through for mostly men. The showers would be constantly going, the door opening and closing constantly as well. I remember when the previous tenant moved out, he got married to a lovely lady and they both moved to East Brunswick. The fellow who rented next, I remember, reminded me of Fred Flinststone. Anyway, "Fred" after a few weeks disappeared and the brigade thus began.
I remember the landlord ringing my bell a couple of times in distress. He was called to check out his place, and asked me outright, "how many people live here now?" I told him, "uh, I think there is a constant stream about 15 to 20 guys, kind of like in shifts." He asked me how to catch them and I said, I don't know, perhaps the Freehold Township police woudl be a good start.
The point of that is that he directly rented to "Fred" who in turn, made his undeclarable cash and the landlord was totally stuck through the lease. I moved out before "Fred's" lease was up. That's how they roll, I guess.
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ka19
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Post by ka19 on May 12, 2008 16:34:33 GMT -5
Andrew, You brought up an interesting point. I remember when I lived in Stonehurst, the apartment next to me was a flow-through for mostly men. The showers would be constantly going, the door opening and closing constantly as well. I remember when the previous tenant moved out, he got married to a lovely lady and they both moved to East Brunswick. The fellow who rented next, I remember, reminded me of Fred Flinststone. Anyway, "Fred" after a few weeks disappeared and the brigade thus began. I remember the landlord ringing my bell a couple of times in distress. He was called to check out his place, and asked me outright, "how many people live here now?" I told him, "uh, I think there is a constant stream about 15 to 20 guys, kind of like in shifts." He asked me how to catch them and I said, I don't know, perhaps the Freehold Township police woudl be a good start. The point of that is that he directly rented to "Fred" who in turn, made his undeclarable cash and the landlord was totally stuck through the lease. I moved out before "Fred's" lease was up. That's how they roll, I guess. He should have had a provision in the lease for "additional rent" and eviction if there were more residents than permitted under the lease. The landlord has the reasonable right to inspection under virtually any lease. He should have gone in there and counted the mattresses. If he counts 10 mattresses where only 6 were permitted to stay, the tenants can be held in material breach of the lease, and the landlord could take them to court for an eviction. The practice of having a steady flow of traffic in and out of a house is referred to as "hot-cotting". This means that a guy wakes up out of his bed and goes to work. Then, another guy comes in and has the right to use that same bed during another shift during the day. It allows a 4 bedroom home to be used literally by 16-20 people. This is tougher to prove. It's a little unfair to the landlords who are bound by prohibition of racial or ethnic discrimination when it comes to leasing. And it's hard to prove. And it's expensive to assert. And if they don't handle the problem, they are subject to very stiff fines. If people are serious about resolving the problem, get a group together who wants to invest money in buying out these neighborhoods, rehabilitating them, and then re-sell them to owner-occupied people. Perhaps the town can offer tax abatements for owner-occupied dwellings in certain residential areas in need of rehabilitation (i'm not sure if they would be authorized by the state to enact this kind of program). There are ways to fight back, but it takes strong resolve and financial leverage. |
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Post by fiberisgoodforyou on May 12, 2008 16:44:59 GMT -5
It sounds like it was an interesting night...sorry I missed it. There is one thing that has jumped right out at me from reading this article, and complaints that are still coming from tenants...and I am wondering if it was brought up at the forum, perhaps someone can let me know... I am curious as to what rights someone has who lives in a home, pays "rent", but has no lease? I ask because I don't think it will come as a surprise to anyone that a major problem is overcrowding of these rental units (hence people sleeping in closets). Now...I find it hard to believe that it would be legal for a landlord to be renting out to 10 different people for the same property...so I am guessing that many people who are living in these homes are not protected by any sort of lease. Therefore, I question what rights they would have? Would a landlord really have to go through all of the described steps to evict someone who does not have a lease? If a renter put down a security deposit, but did not get any paperwork or a lease to back it up...what grounds do they have to get that back? Perhaps a lot of the "complaints" that Rita Dentino are referring to are complaints from illegitimate renters? This is an issue that I would think the town can really crack down on. They should be able to go after the landlords for allowing overcrowding in the units. Admittedly I know very little about rental codes and laws...I will have to do some research...but it seems that a house can be determined to hold a certain number of people safely...if by some miracle, there are more than that many leases on a property, then the town should certainly be able to step in and do something...if code enforcement finds more people living there than who are listed on the lease, or more than should be able to live in that house "safely", there should be a process in place to deal with the landlords and the tenants who are essentially "squatting" on that property. Short and to the point. You can have a legal document called a lease, or a wink and nod handshake agreement to rent from month to month. When it comes to eviction of a tenant, the law and enforcement is equal regardless. It all comes down to tenants rights. the links below will shed more detail. www.lsnjlaw.org/english/placeilive/irentmyhome/tenantsrights/freeholdvoice.proboards46.com/index.cgi?board=humanrelation&action=display&thread=3230#14346The biggest problem of the day is overcrowding. There is an exacta formula ( I believe it may be 70 SQ feet per person per-bedroom, I may be off, but you get the idea), there is a sheet posted in each rental unit, provided by Code enforcement, that details how many people are allowed to live in the rental unit. When you have unscrupulous landlords renting to unscrupulous tenants, this is when the systems falls apart, and has little to do with paper lease or hand shake agreement. You will never see unscrupulous landlords renting to unscrupulous tenants attending these sorts of public forums. Unscrupulous tenants may hide behind their "Advocates" and unscrupulous landlords hide behind their attorneys. Mean time decent people with a vested interest in QOL for their community show up at HRC Landlord-Tenant Forums. The key to success is for homeowners and neighbors to be vigilant, notice the comings and goings of new unfamiliar people and communicate with Code enforcement accurately, honestly and respectfully. They have a big job but with sufficient cooperation, they can be effective. |
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Post by admin on May 13, 2008 6:25:51 GMT -5
Fiber wrote--
Mean time decent people with a vested interest in QOL for their community show up at HRC Landlord-Tenant Forums.
The key to success is for homeowners and neighbors to be vigilant, notice the comings and goings of new unfamiliar people and communicate with Code enforcement accurately, honestly and respectfully. They have a big job but with sufficient cooperation, they can be effective.
The above is exactly why the second forum will be very important and a piece of the puzzle that cannot be left out.
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Post by admin on Jun 5, 2008 17:07:21 GMT -5
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2008/0604/front_page/010.htmlResponsibilities of tenants, landlords reviewed at forum BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer FREEHOLD - Overcrowding and quality of life issues in the borough's 1,900 rental units have been in the news for several years. In an effort to address some of the concerns of landlords and tenants, the Freehold Borough Human Relations Committee recently hosted a forum to deal with the rights and responsibilities of both parties. Also included in the forum were presentations about the code enforcement office and its role regarding the safety of residents and the compliance of rental units with municipal codes. The forum, held in Borough Hall, was attended by about 35 people, including landlords and tenants. Translators were present so that Spanish-speaking individuals could be informed what was being discussed. Presenters included attorney Jacqueline Biddle; attorney Kerry Higgins, who is the borough's municipal attorney; and Hank Stryker III, the director of the borough's Code Enforcement Office. Biddle discussed the rights of tenants, which include living in a location that is habitable and safe with running water, heating, plumbing and electricity, etc. and that provides the ability to live with dignity. She also discussed the tenant's obligations, which first and foremost include paying rent on time. A tenant is also responsible for maintaining the rental unit, keeping it clean and free of debris. Landlords have the right to enter the premises, but they need to give the tenant notice. A tenant should also give notice when he is leaving and not just vacate the premises. Having the landlord do a walk-through on the date the premises are vacated is also a good idea, according to Biddle. Biddle told the landlords who were present that if they need to enter a rental unit they must notify the tenants before doing so. During her presentation, Higgins addressed the audience on eviction procedures. A landlord cannot just throw someone out of their home, but must follow specific procedures, she said. According to Higgins, in almost all instances, landlords are not allowed to evict someone before a lease has expired. They must provide a Notice to Cease if a tenant is violating the lease in some way. If the tenant does not comply with the Notice to Cease, then a Notice to Quit needs to be issued in one month. Only then can a landlord file for an eviction. Legitimate reasons for eviction, according to Higgins, include not paying rent, not giving notice, disorderly conduct and willful destruction of property. In addition, when people are selling their home they cannot evict a tenant in the middle of a lease. If a landlord wants a tenant to leave, he must wait until the end of the lease. If a landlord threatens to throw a tenant out of a rental unit, the tenant can call the police, according to Higgins. The forum also covered certificates of occupancy, quality of life and safety issues. Stryker gave an overview of what his department does and what his inspectors are responsible for, including the inspection of all rental properties. Stryker explained that performing inspections on rental units allows the department to make sure that living conditions are safe. His inspectors, Matt Young, Julissa de Jesus and Sharon O'Conner, gave a brief explanation of their responsibilities, which include going to a home in response to a complaint such as overgrown grass or debris in the yard. The inspectors also respond to complaints about residential overcrowding and other safety issues. Stryker said a complaint of residential overcrowding must be verified. If the complaint is verified then an inspection is warranted and performed. Upon arrival to inspect a rental unit, inspectors are required to introduce themselves and tell the tenant why they are there. A consent form must be signed by the tenant. If a tenant refuses to sign the form inspectors cannot force their way in. At that point they would need to obtain an administrative search warrant fromMunicipal Court Judge Scott Basen. Laz Cardenas, a member of the Latino LeadershipAlliance of New Jersey, said he thought the forum went well and was informative. "It was geared toward both sides (landlords and tenants) and explained the rights and responsibilities (of each). I hope this forum promotes better relations between the code enforcement department and landlords and renters," he said. Cardenas said the Rev. Frederick Parrish, who chairs the human relations committee, did a good job putting the forum together. He said he liked the interaction among the participants and the ideas that were exchanged.
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Post by admin on Jun 5, 2008 17:24:05 GMT -5
[ Has there been any indication of when the second forum will be held? Very good question. One we will need to follow up on. |
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Post by stffgpr2003 on Jun 6, 2008 9:03:07 GMT -5
And easily answered... the second forum will be run in the early Fall. Summer is a bad time to schedule such meetings when people are away and preoccupied with kids being home from school.
Look to September or October and expect the HRC to also organize this one. I will press everyone involved to get the word out, sufficiently, so that everyone who wants to attend knows about it.
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Post by admin on Oct 17, 2008 6:58:04 GMT -5
The beauty of this site is being able to go back and reread old posts. Recently the topic of homeowners in the rental equation came up.
From reading this thread, it was a good reminder of how good the first forum was. Maybe something is in the works for the second? Lets hope so and at least hope this post provides a friendly reminder to our governing body to NOT forget us, the true investors in this town, the home owners.
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what a town-
