A Union City landlord filed a three-count lawsuit in Hudson County Superior Court against the city last month alleging retaliation, civil rights violations, and trespassing.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
The suit notes that Victorina Salvador, a resident of Edison, bought a property at 324 24th St. in February 2022 through the company AVGS Holdings, Inc. and quickly began receiving complaints to raise the heat “beyond city and state mandates.”
Through her attorney Thomas Kamvosoulis, of Roseland-based Brach Eichler LLC, this eventually led to an argument with Health Director Alex Velazquez, who is a defendant in the complaint, after he claimed her heating system was faulty and needed repairs.
“After that phone call with Defendant Velazquez, Plaintiff reached out to Defendant Stack’s office to file a complaint regarding Velazquez. Two weeks after filing a complaint against Defendant Velazquez, Plaintiff received a phone call from Defendant [Brian] Stack in which he raised his voice and used offensive language towards her,” the lawsuit claims.”
“As a result of that phone call, Plaintiff filed a complaint with the state ethics committee against Defendant Stack. But this ethics complaint did not result in any action.”
She also claims that she received “at least eight unfounded ordinance violations” for not making requested repairs, noting that they were in her name despite the property being owned by the aforementioned LLC, also alleging receiving violations without any investigations ever being conducted by the health department.
Furthermore, Salvador says that despite numerous signs on the property asking not to receive political mail or pamphlets from Stack, this was routinely ignored, even after cease-and-desist notices were sent.
Arguably the most salacious allegation in the court filing is that she was subject to an unreasonable search of the property on Halloween 2023, stemming from another heating complaint when it was allegedly 52 degrees outside.
“Outrageously, on or around 6:00 p.m. on October 31, 2023 – a mere nine hours after the complaint was lodged with the Health Department – John Doe police officers from the UCPD entered the Property and broke into four boiler rooms over Plaintiff’s objections and without a warrant,” the lawsuit contends.
“Defendant Stack conspired with Union City and the UCPD to authorize this unreasonable search of the Property in retaliation for Plaintiff’s complaint regarding Defendant Stack’s political handbills and other unlawful behavior.”
As a result, Salvador is seeking an order barring her from being on the receiving end of retaliation or trespassing going forward, as well as damages, counsel fees and costs of suit, damages, civil penalties, costs of suit, and any other relief that the court deems just and equitable.
The New Jersey Joint Senate Committee on Ethical Standards dismissed Salvador’s complaint against Stack, the Union City mayor and the state senator of the 33rd Legislative District, on November 15th, 2022, since they don’t have jurisdiction to review municipal matters.
Salvador vowed to seek further recourse, as HCV first reported, and a federal lawsuit has since been dismissed, but she is still seeking to have her grievances heard in court.
Municipal complaints against her were resolved via a guilty plea in Hoboken Municipal Court to running an Airbnb out of the property in April, which is illegal in Union City, mandating repairs and payment of a $4,500 fine.
Additionally, photos from the building from early July obtained by HCV show leaking ceilings and walls, some of which have mold. The municipal court mandated that all repairs be completed by July 22nd, 2025.
Union City officials declined to comment, citing pending litigation.