Former Hoboken 2nd Ward Councilwoman Beth Mason is suing the Mile Square City over a delayed Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request response.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Mason, who served two terms on the City Council between 2007 and 2015, filed a two-count lawsuit in Hudson County yesterday alleging that the municipality sought an unreasonable extension of an OPRA request she filed on March 12th.
” … The Mason Request is requested an ‘Unsafe Structure Notice issued October 1, 2025 from the City of Hoboken Construction Official Mario Patruno regarding 916 Castle Point Terrace,'” the court filing says.
” … Elizabeth Mason is a Hoboken resident, and the documents pertain to a property, 916 Castle Point Terrace, Hoboken, which is adjacent to and abuts her property (921 Hudson Street).”
The suit, where Mason is represented by Totowa-based attorney Jeffrey Kantowitz, indicated that she filed her request via email on March 12th and the City Clerk’s Office asked for an additional 60 business days, which would be a June 17th due date.
In New Jersey, OPRA requests are supposed to be answered within seven business days, though many municipalities and agencies ask for extensions for various reasons – some legitimate and some just to delay the response.
Kantowitz replied on March 20th, calling a request for a 60 business day extension “a blatant violation of OPRA” and that Mason would be expecting a response by March 27th.
As of yesterday when the case was filed, Mason had not received any further communications from the city, according to the court filing.
For that reason, she is seeking a judgement against the city and the clerk that says they violated OPRA that comes with a fine, immediately release all records necessary to fulfill the OPRA request, directing the city to comply with future request, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs of suit, along with any other relief the court deems just and equitable.
This is far from Mason’s first time suing Hoboken for public records: She filed eight cases alleging OPRA violations in the mid-2000’s, according to the New York Times.
City spokeswoman Marilyn Baer did not return an email seeking comment on Wednesday, though the city typically does not comment on pending litigation.
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Hoboken Charter School is being sued for the Same thing. Seems like they hate transparency.
Isn’t she also suing the Hoboken Charter School for OPRA violation? Or is that someone else?
The message here should be pretty clear — the City needs to get its act together. It is simply not ok to keep kicking the can down the road and ignoring established guidlines– even on such seemingly insignificant matters. Good for Ms. Mason!
Is lying in a civil complaint called perjury?
Should the City of Hoboken aid and abet (another) Mason frivolous claim? Food for thought. Open your wallet, Ricky cause here she comes!
Beth sues neighbors on all sides of her… She needs to go back to Virginia. She was running an Inn, but guess like Newhart that was juts an extended dream and now Hoboken’s nightmare is back
Thought she was running an Innsomewhere
Funny, I went to a shiva the other night and was reminded of when the Masons got kicked out of HUMC board member Steve Rofsky’s shiva for relentlessly smearing him for political advantage and then pretending they admired his work. Shameless, still.
Who gets kicked out of a shiva? Pretty heinous.
It’s so typical of the way Hoboken operates. The blatant attempt by hook or by crook to keep one from court proceedings.
Say it ain’t so! WHAM, when that loaded purse hits you. Look up “who spent the most $ to lose a Hoboken mayoral race?” (hint: Beth Mason). Is she back to persuade a new generation of Hobokenites that she REALLY REALLY cares about “good government.” ho ho!
https://www.nj.com/hudson/2014/03/elec_says_councilwoman_mason_violated_election_reporting_rules.html
Look whose campaigns (PLURAL) stiffed ELEC!
https://patch.com/new-jersey/hoboken/councilwoman-beth-mason-and-husband-richard-mason-wachtell-lipton-hammered-40000-campaign-fines
Ms. Transparency wouldn’t file her campaign reports. After years of dodging the simple requirement, NJ ELEC hit with fines in the tens of thousands.
It was a glorious day.
Just like in the Musical the Witch didn’t die…and like the musical the witch married the scarecrow
The attack gang is back, banking on the fact that so many people don’t know history. Hoboken’s budgets and inner workings were conducted in back rooms without public input, and you had to wait and pay 20 times the cost of each photocopy before Mason and other Hoboken activists back in the ‘aughts put a bright spotlight on the good ole boys running Hoboken’s city government and school board and forced them to follow the law. She was also instrumental in pushing for a Master Plan process to guide Hoboken’s development. Is she perfect? No, no one is, but her legacy in bringing transparency to Hoboken’s government is indisputable.
Okay Ricky nice try
You must be confusing Beth with Helen Hirsh, Helen Manogue, Ann Graham and Annette Illing…
THEY formed People for Open Government, HCC and many other transparency groups.
Beth infiltrated them and ruined them
All she did was bring Russo Occhipinti and Raia into her camp and bankroll their efforts
And she tried to kill our Hospital