Jersey City Council Moves to Clarify Fines for Negligent Landlords, Citing Court Delays
Jersey City officials are seeking to streamline code enforcement against landlords through an ordinance clarifying per-day fines and addressing inconsistencies in municipal court procedures. Teh move comes as the city grapples with protracted legal battles, notably concerning conditions at the Portside Towers complex.
During a recent council meeting, the cityS Office of Code Compliance detailed challenges in prosecuting violations, noting that some municipal court judges require separate trials for each day of a violation, while others demand new summonses. Ordinance 3.5, amending Chapters 1, 218, and 254, establishes a clear per-day fine of $2,500, aiming to standardize penalties.
“You can imagine the frustration that one has in getting through code enforcement quickly,” said city representative Hudnut, adding that all ordinances against Portside Towers are currently in the pre-trial phase, with the next trial date set for October 23rd. He revealed it took nearly two months to consolidate 150 summonses before a single municipal court judge.
Hudnut highlighted the increasing complexity of these cases,stating,”As we get tougher on code enforcement,they’re hiring better and better lawyers and they’re asserting all their revelation rights.” He further emphasized the slow pace of justice, commenting, “I resolved homicides in less time it takes to resolve code enforcement in the municipal court.”
So far this year, the Office of Code Compliance has issued 13,681 summonses, compared to 18,299 for all of last year. While the office typically plea-bargains most cases, Hudnut acknowledged difficulties in holding landlords accountable, particularly those operating through Limited Liability Companies (LLCs).
“These LLCs make it nearly unfeasible to bring in a human being to court. Most of these LLCs ignore the summonses until they see a human being’s name written as a care of,” Hudnut stated. He noted that a bill sponsored by State Senator Brian Stack,which passed the full Senate,aims to require LLCs to identify a human representative.
The city pursues default judgments and liens against defendants who fail to pay fines or appear in court. Trials are held in absentia against LLCs, and judgments are sent to the Law Department for enforcement. Approximately 10 to 20 percent of cases proceed to trial.
