By Charles Layton
Marshall Koplitz, owner of the notorious Park View Inn building on Seaview Avenue, has again failed to meet his obligations under a court order, prompting Neptune Township attorney Gene Anthony to accuse him of acting in bad faith.
This week, in a letter, Anthony gave notice to Koplitz’ lawyer that her client is in default of the court order. By our count this marks the fourth time this year that Anthony has threatened to take Koplitz back to Municipal Court for being in default.
Koplitz and the Township negotiated a consent order in July of 2011, in which he promised the court and the Township that he would renovate the boarded-up and dilapidated Park View Inn according to a specific five-phase schedule. This agreement came after years of conflict with the Township, with neighbors and with the Ocean Grove Fire Commissioners over the dangerously run-down condition of his hotel.
Although he has since met some of that agreement’s deadlines, he has missed others, to the frustration of many long-suffering Ocean Grove residents living nearby.
Marshall Koplitz at an HPC meeting last December. Photo by Charles Layton
The subject of this week’s letter, from Anthony to attorney Michelle Lebovitz Lamar, was Koplitz’ failure to submit revised architectural plans to the Township. Although Koplitz did submit plans, Anthony wrote that those plans “have not been responsive to the requirements of the Construction Department.” Given that the department requested revisions “as early as June 6, 2012,” Anthony wrote, “it is hard to believe that proper corrections and completion of such plans have not been completed six (6) months later.” The delay, he said, “is unreasonable and is tantamount to bad faith on the part of your client.”
Asked for comment, Lamar told Blogfinger that it was her policy not to “speak to the press about any of my clients.” (Koplitz himself has failed to return our phone calls on several occasions. He has an open invitation from us to explain his side of these disputes at any time.)
Anthony said if Koplitz does not respond with the proper complete architectural plans by December 25, he will take the case back to Municipal Court. Under the consent order, if the court finds Koplitz in default he could be fined $35,000 or more.
NOTE: For extensive background on Koplitz and his various clashes with Neptune over property maintenance and safety issues, just type “Marshall Koplitz” at the top right corner of this page.
Solving this matter is very simple. The court needs to fine Koplitz $1,000 a day that he is non-compliant. The judge, Robin Wernik, could easily do this. Or she could require payment of the threatened amounts already communicated to Koplitz. How much effort does it take to issue and enforce a fine?
I used to own a co-op in NYC and one day a resturant next to the co-op building installed a portico-like structure between their front door and the street, in violation of the zoning. Our building management filed a complaint and the City issued a citation. The resturant owners did not respond. A second citation was issued that required a remedy in 30 days. Again, no response. The Judge then initiated a $500 a day fine until the situation was full remedied, including re-cementing the holes in the sidewalk where the posts had been drilled. In two weeks, the structure was removed and repairs made.
My point is that if the Judge simply lowered the boom, Koplitz would respond.
Mary Beth: Very simple, enforce your codes. Neptune can demo and backcharge the owner, just for the people that live in the area and the safety of all.
I’m not going to rest until this Park View matter is settled. I kept the pressure on from my hospital bed this summer, we were working on it before Sandy, and I’m going to see it through to the bitter end. And dammit, if it takes longer than my health allows me to remain on this earth, I have people who will pick up where I left off. Courts at any level don’t take this as a serious crime; we see situations like this as the murder of a building and the attempted murder of the neighboring residents, but this will be resolved. I stake my life on it.
The Township should just declare the building unstable and condemn it and demolish it. get it over with already. there’s no way it will ever be rehabilitated. that would cost more than the lot value and no one will finance the project b/c of the loan to value ratio for a construction loan. Put the demo order on it and let Koplitz appeal the demo order in superior court and then you will have final determination from the superior court judge, which the Township will win. enuf said. this is a waste of time and money. I’d rather spend the money on the demolition than chasing after Koplitz. It will make a nice single family lot….
I think that the problem is not so much property-maintenance laws as it is that Judge Robin Wernik seems to actively be working against the best interests of Neptune in this matter.
As bad as this seems, before Neptune put Mr.Anthony into muni court to handle the cases our
overmatched code employees were being “rolled over” regularly.
Mediocre results? Mr. Anthony has won virtually every case he has tried for Neptune Township. The problem here are the property-maintenance laws and, let’s be realistic, the fact that property-maintenance violations fall somewhat behind in the perception of immediate threat next to drug, weapon and violent crimes.
Maybe Neptune Township needs to hire another lawyer. What’s the point of rehiring the same attorney that produces mediocre results year after year?
Enough is enough. The Township seems to be afraid of this man because he is all lawyered up. He finds ways to stall or finds loopholes. Gene Anthony and the township need to get more aggressive with this person. Remember now you have two fire traps next to each other that could be dangerous to the community, the Warrington and the Park View.
It is time to throw the book at him., theSampler Inn and now the Park View, and his other two Ocean Grove properties are starting to look pretty shabby too — the Plaza and the Ocean View.
The Township needs to do something before it is too late — like a fire.
FYI to the intrepid reporters of Blogfinger, et al. He does keep office space at the Ocean View which he visits often. If he’s avoiding phone interviews, perhaps a direct appoach?
Oh My! — As they say on the Internet, LOL. But I’d be very surprised if anyone is surprised.
What can one say but, we’ve all been Koplitzed again. The surprise element to all this is … that anyone would be surprised.
Koplitz has to be shaking in his boots right now. He has been called Unreasonable and Tantamount to bad faith.