Lakewood, NJ - Landlords Protest $3,000 Fine at mayor's Residence

Lakewood, NJ - A crowd of about 40 Orthodox Jewish men railed against the political establishment, in the front yard of the mayor's home. "This has never happened before," said one man after another.

What sparked the protest at Mayor Meir Licht-enstein's 14th Street home was outrage about a Municipal Court decision.
"I don't know why they came to my house, why this was about me. This was a judge's decision. I think it's despicable that people come to someone's house like that, harassing my family," Lichtenstein said.

Municipal Court Judge Philip Miller found a member of the Lakewood Landlords Association guilty of failing to obtain certificates of occupancy for a rental property and overcrowding. In all, he was fined $3,000 and ordered to serve 40 days in jail. The jail sentence was stayed, giving the landlord time to appeal the verdict and obtain the necessary COs, the attorney for the group said.
"He's shocked to say the least. People with DWIs are getting off with fines," said Marcel Katz, a founding member of the landlord association, which is suing the township in Superior Court.
More than 40 landlords allege that Lakewood quality-of-life ordinances are unconstitutionally vague. The landlords say they're being held responsible for the wrongdoing of tenants, who violate leases and don't follow codes, and should be the ones who are fined.

In the meantime, the township is moving forward with the prosecution of code violation summonses, which carry fines as high as $750 each.