An appellate judge recently issued a stay order in a Hoboken tenant’s lawsuit, putting his roughly $1,700 a month rental hike on hold.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
New Jersey Superior Court Appellate Division Judge Heidi W. Currier signed the stay order on Thursday, September 14th without any further explanation.
Due to the rental increase being in place last month, a GoFundMe page launched by the Hoboken Fair Housing Association was restarted last month. They expectedly applauded the latest ruling in this case against the Hoboken Rent Leveling Board dating back to 2017.
“Today we learned that the courts ordered a stay meaning that Jeff will no longer have to pay that extra $1600++ a month while the case is pending the appeal and decision.
Jeff is represented pro bono by Dana Wefer who deserves nothing but kudos for her work on this case and congratulations for today’s important victory,” the group wrote on Facebook.
“Although the case is still not over, friends who are lawyers have shared that the granting of the stay is a very good sign that the courts believe that there is a reasonable if not likelihood of success so, this is a wonderful turn of events. For the time being the GoFundMe is on hold.”
HFHA also thanked everyone who had donated to this point.
Trupiano’s attorneys have argued that the rental increase “does not guarantee landlords a return on equity investment based on the dollar market value of the rent-controlled
unit, nor does it explicitly identify a particular method for calculating equity,” based on Hoboken’s rent control ordinance.
His landlord fought to levy a hardship rent increase of approximately $2,800 per month, and after three remands to the Hoboken Rent Leveling and Stabilization Board, the trial court ordered a $1,717 rent increase effective December 2022.
Trupiano and Wefer went public with the case 13 months ago during an interview with HCV at his apartment at 703 Park Ave.
Ironic that Dana Wefer moved out of Hoboken after saying it was too expensive for her to stay.