Rent Control

New Jersey Foreclosure Fairness Act Offers Protections for Residential Tenants

no@spam.com (Ed Mecka)

The New Jersey Foreclosure Fairness Act, P.L. 2009, c.296, was signed into law on January 17, 2010 and provides protection to renters living in residential properties.

Residential tenants in New Jersey cannot be evicted solely because the property where they live is in foreclosure or has been foreclosed.

In general, New Jersey law protects tenants against eviction from their homes so long as they:

pay the rent,
respect the peace and quiet of their neighbors,
avoid willful or grossly negligent damage to the property, and
obey the reasonable rules theyhave agreed to in writing.

Next big debate: How much can rents rise?

no@spam.com (News Media)

A City Council subcommittee is holding a series of hearings to analyze city’s rent control regulations, and advocates for both landlords and tenants are gearing up for what promises to be contentious debate over potential changes.

Hoboken’s Rent Leveling and Stabilization Ordinance, passed in 1973, limits how much a landlord of a multifamily building (built before 1987) can raise the rent each year. Usually the increase is limited to between 1 and 7 percent, the amount of the federal Consumer Price Index.

Rent control adjustment needs more adjusting to be fair

no@spam.com (Letter to the Editor)

10/31/2005

On October 19th the City Council passed an amendment to Hoboken's Rent Control law which allows landlords to cheat tenants and which may result in hundreds of tenants losing their homes.

The landlords "cottage industry"

no@spam.com (Letter to the Editor)

The administration, in its never-ending search for truth, justice, and the American way for its allies, is promoting a change in the rent control laws which will limit the liability of landlords in the event of unlawful rent hikes to two years of excess charges.

Council postpones rent control 'fix'

no@spam.com (News Media)

The city agreed last Tuesday to postpone imposing a controversial rent control amendment for up to 90 days - and the City Council may be mulling over some changes to the ordinance to avoid a court battle.

Referendum on rent control?

no@spam.com (News Media)

Longtime tenant advocate and former mayoral candidate Dan Thumpson warned City Council members that if they approved controversial changes to rent control, he would eventually beat them on the streets.

Well, the City Council went ahead and approved the amendment weeks ago and Thumpson made good on his promise yesterday when he dropped 70 pages of certified signatures at the City Clerk's Office, signaling the start of a referendum that threatens to repeal the changes.

Rent Control amendments pass

no@spam.com (News Media)

Two-year statute of limitations implemented for collecting overcharged rent
The Hoboken City Council has passed an amendment to the city's Rent Control Ordinance that will limit how far back a tenant can go to recoup rent overpayments.
As the law was written, tenants could recover all of the money they overpaid in rent, no matter how long they have lived at an address. This has led to some landlords having to pay as much as $100,000 to long-term tenants.

Three on council broke rent-control law

no@spam.com (News Media)

Records show they failed to file registration statements

HOBOKEN - Three members of the City Council who will help decide the future of the rent control in the city have violated the current law as landlords.

Records also show that at least one council member's family has been involved with charging tenants more than their legal rents.

The typically private affairs of the City Council have become a public issue since they considered amending the rent control ordinance more than a month ago. The council is expected to vote on a proposal tomorrow that will limit landlord payouts to tenants who were charged above the legal rent.

Hoboken Rent Control Ordinance v. The N.J. Consumer Fraud Act

no@spam.com (Ed Mecka)

A proposed amendment to the Hoboken Rent Control Ordinance that would limit the payouts of thousands of dollars in illegally charged rents may infringe upon the protections afforded by the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, N.J.S.A Title 56, Chapter 8.

Before taking such action, it would be wise for the Hoboken City Council to review the Supreme Court of the United States decision in COHEN v. DE LA CRUZ ET AL, No. 96-1923. Argued January 20, 1998-Decided March 24, 1998.

Petitioner owned several residential properties in and around Hoboken, New Jersey, one of which was subject to a local rent control ordinance. In 1989, the Hoboken Rent Control Administrator determined that petitioner had been charging rents above the levels permitted by the ordinance, and ordered him to refund to the affected tenants, who are respondents in this Court, $31,382.50 in excess rents charged. Petitioner did not comply with the order.

The US Supreme Court ruled "Under New Jersey law, the debt for fraudulently obtaining $31,382.50 in rent payments includes treble damages and attorney

Hoboken City Council Postpones Rent Control Vote

no@spam.com (News Media)

Although the Hoboken City Council postponed a vote on several changes to the city's rent control ordinance, a number of residents voiced their opposition causing heated debates - to the point that the police were nearly involved - and stretching the meeting to three hours.