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By Jennifer L. Alexander, Esq. June 25, 2021 Posted in Landlord/Tenant Law Share

On June 3, 2021, the New Jersey Legislature passed, and, on June 18, 2021, the Governor Phil Murphy signed, NJ S.B. 250 / A.B 1919 (2020), known as the Fair Chance in Housing Act (the “Act”). The purpose of the Act is to reduce the amount of recidivism amongst ex-convicts in the State of New Jersey. Statistics show that recidivism rates increase (and public safety decreases) when ex-convicts are unable to find stable housing. Consequently, the Act aims to reduce obstacles which may prevent ex-convicts from finding such housing by significantly altering how landlords may conduct background checks.

By Jennifer L. Alexander, Esq. May 12, 2021 Posted in Landlord/Tenant Law Share

On May 4, 2021, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed 2021 N.Y.  SB 6362A. The Act amends chapter 381 of the 2020 laws establishing the “COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2020,” as well as chapter 73 of the 2021 laws establishing the “COVID-19 Emergency Protect Our Small Business Act of 2021.”

By Jennifer L. Alexander, Esq. May 11, 2021 Posted in Firm News Share

This week, the New Jersey Department of Health released revised Covid-19 Pools and Aquatic Recreation Facility Standards, dated May 7, 2021 (“New Standards”).  If you compare the Standards published last year with the New Standards, you will note that the requirement of a pool ambassador has been eliminated.  The role of Pool Ambassador in last year’s Standards read, “Implementation of an ambassador role to monitor and encourage social distancing of bathers on the pool deck.” (Section I(3), Page 2).

By Jennifer L. Alexander, Esq. March 19, 2021 Posted in Community Association Law Share

Determining whether to open Association facilities or keep them closed this year is a harder choice than ever, in our ever-changing Covid-19 environment. It is mid-March, 2021, but we have experienced our first 60 degree day. It has been a year since Covid-19 hit.  Everyone thought that the safeguards would be temporary, but we are learning that nothing is easy in this pandemic. The vast majority of Associations closed their facilities last year, and nearly all have remained closed.

By Jennifer L. Alexander, Esq. March 18, 2021 Posted in Landlord/Tenant Law Share

On March 17, 2021, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed NJ Exec. Order No. 231 (2021). The executive order extends the current Public Health Emergency related to COVID‑19 for an additional thirty (30) days.

By Jennifer L. Alexander, Esq. February 10, 2021 Posted in Landlord/Tenant Law Share

On July 14, 2020, the Supreme Court of New Jersey authorized several steps to support the resumption of landlord/tenant case processing during the COVID-19 crisis. Namely, the Court carved out an exception to the suspension of landlord/tenant trials, allowing landlords to apply for issuance of an Order to Show Cause for evictions in emergency circumstances.

By Robert C. Griffin, Esq. January 18, 2021 Posted in Firm News Share

If you have been watching the news, you know that the roll-out of the vaccine process has, so far, been much slower than anticipated. Early predictions that we would all be vaccinated by the end of May, 2021 are already being revised to the end of October, 2021.

There are approximately 330 million people in the United States. The talk is that we, as a nation, are going to vaccinate a million people a day, as we get ramped up – and we have to administer these vaccinations twice in that period. If that is indeed the case, the process will take close to a year, even if we discount those who will refuse to be vaccinated and those who can’t be. Unless we ramp up to close to double the “million a day” goal, we will not have a majority of U.S. citizens vaccinated by the summer.

By Jennifer L. Alexander, Esq. January 6, 2021 Posted in Landlord/Tenant Law Share

On April 24, 2020 Governor Phil Murphy signed NJ Exec. Order No. 128 (2020). This executive order waived laws governing security deposits and allowed tenants to use their security deposits to cover their rent during the COVID-19 crisis.

By Jennifer L. Alexander, Esq. January 6, 2021 Posted in Landlord/Tenant Law Share

As you may be aware, the Federal Stimulus Package, signed by President Trump on December 27, 2020, has temporarily extended the CDC Eviction Moratorium. The passage in Stimulus Package states as follows: SEC. 502. EXTENSION OF EVICTION MORATORIUM. The order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under section 361 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 264), entitled, “Temporary Halt in Residential Evictions To Prevent the Further Spread of COVID-19” (85 Fed. Reg. 55292 (September 4, 2020) is extended through January 31, 2021, notwithstanding the effective dates specified in such Order.