The Jersey City Council approved an ordinance on second reading to establish mandatory minimum fines for landlords who engage in rent control violations.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
Portside Towers Tenants Association East President Kevin Weller noted that the local legislation ordinance established a mandatory minimum $100 a day fine, per unit.
“Jersey City doesn’t have a law problem … What we have is an enforcement problem,” he said during public comment on the ordinance.
He noted the city’s difficulties in addressing illegal rent increases and negligence, also severely criticized their thousands of violations and lack of enforcement.
“Only lawbreakers will have to pay … Please give Jersey City’s housing laws teeth,” Weller noted.
“It’s cheaper to ignore the law than fix the problems,” Portside Towers Tenants Association tenant Mark Boyles said about their landlord, Equity Residential, who remain embroiled in a $400 million federal lawsuit.
He said the less fortunate have to deal with the consequences of their actions and therefore “it’s unacceptable in a city that prides itself on justice and equality,” Boyles added.
He said this new local law would make non-compliance far more expensive and impossible to ignore.
Nonetheless, not everyone thought the measure, sponsored by Ward E Councilman James Solomon, was a great idea.
Daniel Feldman emphasized the significance of the mandatory minimums, explaining that “the mandatory minimum makes breaking the law so expensive that the violations should actually go down. When landlords know that every single day of non-compliance costs them a hundred dollars per tenant, they start following the law.”
Portside Towers Tenants Association West President Michele Hirsch said chronic elevator failures, HVAC bills, and safety issues have caused many violations in their complex.
“Prosecutors … have been known to reduce penalties to zero. We need mandatory minimums to ensure the law has teeth … Voluntary compliance does not work. Consequences without enforcement is theater.”
After remarks from the public concluded, Solomon explained why he spearheaded the law.
“I’ve been long frustrated by the slaps on the wrist, which don’t deter bad behavior: Now it’s going to be up to the mayor and the municipal prosecutor to deliver that,” he declared.
The Jersey City Council passed the measure unanimously (9-0) Deputy City Clerk John Hallanan announced to applause.
During the general public comment period, Weller thanked them before noting there will be less of an excuse for no enforcement once it goes into effect in 20 days.
He noted Chief Municipal Prosecutor Jake Hudnut was recently supportive and explained the difficulties and was in touch with Portside resident, though less so recently.
“One summons could take care of all of those violations. I hope that’s what happens,” Weller added.
Jersey City Property Owners Association Executive Director Ron Simoncini criticized the council for not inviting him to more meetings about rent control before the ordinance was passed.
“This conversation has nothing to do with a balanced policy,” he claimed, dismissing the complaints of Portside residents before declaring that the ordinance was unconstitutional and threatened the city with legal action.
“We can rebalance things the right way,” Simoncini added.
The local legislation was the third rent protection-related ordinance introduced by Solomon, two of which were passed at the end of last month, as HCV first reported.
