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By Stephanie Wiegand, Esq. March 28, 2017 Posted in Community Association Law Share

In a recent unpublished decision out of the Hudson County Chancery Division, a New Jersey Court has determined that condominium associations do not fit the definition indicated in N.J.S.A. 54:5-54 as an appropriate party that is able to redeem a tax sale certificate.

By Stephanie Wiegand, Esq. January 25, 2017 Posted in Community Association Law, Landlord/Tenant Law Share

This past week, the Supreme Court of New Jersey issued a decision that could require the municipalities of New Jersey to reconsider their affordable housing accommodations. In a unanimous 6-0 decision, written by Justice Jaynee LaVecchia, the Court defined how the municipalities in New Jersey are to calculate their respective needs for affordable housing.

January 11, 2017 Posted in Community Association Law Share

Growing concerns for individual safety, as well increased access to high quality, low cost security cameras is having an impact on Condominium Associations throughout New Jersey.   Some Unit Owners are asking their Associations to install cameras in common areas, while others simply wish to install their own cameras around their individual units. Many Associations and their Boards are finding themselves in a position where they must decide whether to allow Unit Owners to install personal security cameras; with little guidance as to what course of action is the best.

January 11, 2017 Posted in Landlord/Tenant Law Share

A rent abatement is a court ordered remedy for a "habitability" issue. Essentially a portion of the tenant's rent is written off by the court because it is determined that the leased premises did not meet certain standards of living for some period of time.  

December 21, 2016 Posted in Landlord/Tenant Law Share

In New Jersey, as with most other states, there are various rules and regulations governing a tenant’s early termination of their lease.  Tenants who breach their lease agreement and terminate their lease early may suffer from monetary consequences as tenants are required by law to pay rent for the full term of their lease, or for the period of time until the landlord finds a replacement tenant.  As a landlord, if your tenant has terminated their lease early, you may be able to recover damages for the financial losses suffered as a result.

December 7, 2016 Posted in Landlord/Tenant Law Share

In New Jersey, as with nearly every state, it is illegal for a landlord to retaliate against a tenant in response to that tenant’s exercise of a legal right.

November 18, 2016 Posted in Landlord/Tenant Law Share

It is common practice for some landlords to conduct credit checks and criminal history checks for new applicants.  While credit checks have remained fairly free from criticism, criminal background checks have received scrutiny from some courts, government agencies, and legislators. 

November 10, 2016 Posted in Landlord/Tenant Law Share

In the state of New York, housing applicants are protected from discrimination under applicable federal, state, and local fair housing laws.  Though a landlord may reject a housing applicant on the basis of certain limited criteria, a landlord may not deny an individual the right to purchase or rent housing on the basis of statutorily-defined discrimination criteria.

November 4, 2016 Posted in Landlord/Tenant Law Share

On April 4, 2016, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (hereafter “HUD”) released “guidance” on criminal background checks and the Fair Housing Act. This advisory opinion describes that arrest, conviction, and criminal background statistics are all largely disproportionate in terms of race. Therefore, criminal background checks are being reviewed as having a potential “disparate impact” (Fair Housing Act definition meaning “unintentional” impact) on this protected class, regardless of whether a background check policy is non-discriminatory on its face.