Lakewood must stand its ground in enforcing township codes that regulate overcrowding and require landlords to obtain certificates of occupancy. Protests at the mayor’s house after a property owner was fined this week for code violations show how irrational critics of the township’s quality-of-life ordinances have become.
Mayor Meir Lichtenstein had every right to be upset after about 40 men crowded outside his house twice Tuesday, forcing him to relocate his family overnight. The action against a landlord earlier that day was a municipal court matter beyond the mayor’s control.
Questions about code enforcement belong at Township Committee meetings, not at the mayor’s private residence. The Lakewood Landlords Association has already taken the township to Superior Court, challenging the quality-of-life ordinances as unconstitutionally vague.
The landlords don’t seem to understand the responsibilities of property owners. They say they’re being held responsible for the wrongdoing of their tenants, who violate leases and don’t follow codes. The landlords have it all wrong. They, as landlords, are the responsible parties. They must see to it that tenants understand and follow regulations regarding the number of people residing in a house — and boot them out if they don’t.
“The town is not going to allow people to have overcrowded, unsafe housing,” Lichtenstein said in defending the quality-of-life program. There is good reason for code enforcement officials to address overcrowding issues. It just may prevent a tragedy at one of those properties. That’s why township officials must continue their campaign against code violators.
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10 Responses
For once they are on the right side of the issue. It is unfortunate that the landlords had to bring the goyishe media into this by doing the action at the mayor’s house.
The Chilul Hashem these guys are causing is compounding!!
what sham they were ‘zoche’ to make a ‘chillul hasem’ (sorry a kidush hasem?? my be in their book?)
smeel:
I think the word you continuously try writing is “shame”
run all the slum lords out of town
Yasher Koach to YW for his strong stance against these parasites. I have never voted for Mayor Meir, but this year i will just to spite these Chutzpadike slumlords.
if people have a problem with the slum lords or landlords for overcrowding and that it is dangerous to house so many people underone roof its a joke. just go into certain places for davening its much more dangerous. Lets be honest The problem people have is that they are renting out to mex.. or span… folks in their backyard. or in someone elses backyard. Now lets be honest here they do deserve blame but not all the blame since they are providing the housing and sleeping accomodations however many people who are complaining are also to blame since they are supporting these folk buy picking them up and hiring them to build houses work in their stores and so on. then there are the retail landlords who rent out stores to them at very high prices the yidden cant afford and so on. so lets call a spade a spade many people are to blame and lakewood is ruining it for themselves. It will soon become like all the other great frum towns that once was (crown heights, east flatbush…) and now were sold out to for money and greed.
Meir Lichtenstein for President!!
Smeel, I agree with you, but you need to brush up on your grammer, it doesn’t make for intelligent dialogue!
Gut Shabbos,
Another Traifene Ba’al Habos
dasyosher:
Your name fits you very well.
All slum lords must go to jail!
“Meir Lichtenstein for President!!
Smeel, I agree with you, but you need to brush up on your grammer, it doesn’t make for intelligent dialogue!”
you mean GRAMMAR
OUCH? 😉