TTN: A Lakewood real estate agent has been denied a permit to go door to door seeking to buy borough properties based on his history of code violations on properties he manages in town.Based on a recommendation by the code enforcement office, the borough clerk denied the permit. The Borough Council was advised of the decision during its July 17 meeting.Michael Lefkovits was seeking a municipal permit to approach homeowners and make offers for their property. In a short telephone conversation with Greater Media Newspapers, Lefkovits said he was upset because his name “had been smeared in the newspaper.”

Greater Media Newspapers previously reported on the violations at the properties he manages in the borough and the application he filed for the solicitor’s permit.

Lefkovits said he had not done anything wrong or anything illegal. He objected to the way he said he was portrayed in the article and said everyone has violations, not just him.

“It’s not nice to hurt someone like that,” Lefkovits said. “It was not called for to put my name in the paper. Business is business. You shouldn’t do that to people.”

He said he would not have answered his phone on Monday if he knew it was a newspaper reporter calling.

In discussing the issue on July 17, Borough Administrator Joseph Bellina told council members he had received a recommendation from code enforcement officials to deny the application submitted by Lefkovits, of H&R Realty, Lakewood, to go door to door and solicit people to sell their property. He noted that council members had also received the letter.

“Our professional staff made this recommendation and I wholeheartedly stand behind it,” the administrator said.

Code enforcement official Henry Stryker III confirmed that a letter from his department was sent to the council on May 15 regarding the Lefkovits application. The letter was signed by code enforcement officer Matt Young and stated, “It has been brought to my attention that Michael Lefkovits of Lakewood has made application to the Borough of Freehold for a solicitor’s license. In my opinion, this application should be denied due to a long history of violation and neglect to make repairs to the properties which he manages. … Also please note that when Mr. Lefkovits finally does make repairs to his managed properties, it is the bare minimum to pass the inspection.”

Bellina said Lefkovits has received 10 summonses in 18 months regarding properties he owns in the borough. One violation he noted was renting to tenants without providing a certificate of occupancy on four different properties.

“Any responsible landlord knows he must get a CO before he can let someone stay there,” the administrator said.

Bellina said a representative of the code enforcement department spoke with a tenant who was living in a home without a CO. According to Bellina, the tenant reported to the borough representative that her landlord, Lefkovits, told her it was OK to move in.

Lefkovits has also received summonses for inoperable smoke detectors, failing to provide carbon monoxide detectors, failing to provide a sewer line, inoperable sanitation, extermination issues and inoperable fire extinguishers, according to borough officials.

“Anyone in their right mind could not even conceive of coming close to approving this [solicitation] application,” Bellina said. “That’s the recommendation and we stand by it.”

Borough Clerk Linda Cottrell said a letter informing Lefkovits of the decision was mailed July 19.

Bellina said Lefkovits can appeal the denial of the solicitation permit to Mayor Michael Wilson.

Council President Sharon Shutzer asked Bellina if, when Lefkovits was cited for a violation, he responded in a timely manner.

“He responded slowly and has been uncooperative to deal with,” Bellina said. “There is a pattern here that is clear and consistent. He has also pled guilty to many of these summonses. It’s just the cost of doing business. It is very frustrating for our code enforcement department to deal with people like this.”

Bellina said although the properties questioned by the code enforcement department are owned by a group of people, Lefkovits is the person who manages the properties, therefore, he is the individual officials must deal with on a regular basis.

Councilman Marc Le Vine has said some people are going door to door soliciting residents to sell their homes for cash. Le Vine said, “these landlords want to be able to break our laws and remain obscure. They can’t have it both ways. We need to know who they are by name, we need to know who they are and what they are doing. Many landlords are from Lakewood and have poor track records there. Somehow the message got out to come here and trash our town. Publicity is their greatest enemy.”

Resident Ted Miller, of Henry Street, told the council he is worried about “block busting” coming to his neighborhood. Miller said he has been receiving letters form real estate companies asking to buy his home for cash. He said he has received letters that claim his neighbors are selling their homes and if he does not sell his home, his property will decline in value.

“This is block busting,” Miller said. “I am worried about people knocking on doors to buy up properties. It absolutely repulses me that someone would be block busting on my doorstep.”

Miller said he wants to protect the investment he has made in his home.

Shutzer told Miller she, too, has received letters offering to buy her home for cash.

“I have written to them, telling them to stop contacting me and I have asked them to take me off their mailing list. I have been completely ignored,” Shutzer said. “I think this is appalling.”

Shutzer said the council members appreciated the code enforcement office’s recommendation relative to the Lefkovits application.