Blogfinger file photo
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger Monday, April 28, 2014. In an extraordinary act of reverse diplomacy, Pres. Anne Horan of the OG Home Owners Association, went to the microphone at the Neptune Township Committee meeting for her 5 minutes of fame, only to insult the Committee by saying that they are not doing enough for the derelict housing problem in the Grove. She said that she was “stunned” that the Committee would suggest that residents participate in the process of finding solutions and that the Committee had failed to deal effectively with wrecks like 80 Main Ave.
Horan was reacting to an earlier suggestion from the dais that neighbors should write letters of complaint to owners of derelict houses. Committeeman Eric Houghtaling was uncharacteristically angry as he protested her assertions, and Committeewoman Mary Beth Jahn practically jumped out of her seat as she raised her voice to say that the Committee had accomplished more in the last eight years than in the twenty prior to that when it comes to the problem of derelict houses. She said that they have been working tirelessly to solve this issue including using demolition by neglect, court cases, and over $100,000 to “chase those owners.” “There’s a process that must be followed,” she said, “but that process takes a long time.” Jahn accused the HOA of attacking the Committee. “We’re not dong enough?” she asked. “This is the wrong tack for the HOA to use against us.”
The Committeewoman complained that the OG Home Owners Association had treated members of the Committee (Bishop and Houghtaling) disrespectfully when they appeared last Saturday at the HOA meeting, and that she was angry about that. She said that the process is more difficult because the owners don’t want to do the needed work on their properties and that they would prefer to have their buildings demolished. She admitted that the process hasn’t worked, and she thought that the Camp Meeting might be helpful in participating in the effort to save the historic buildings. Mayor Brantley said, “We are frustrated and we will keep trying to do something.”
Horan was not the only speaker to question the progress being made at town hall. HOA Trustees Ken Buckley and Joan Venezia also had some criticisms of their own to make at the microphone. Venezia wanted the Committee to move faster in implementing a process called “certified local government,” and Buckley waved a copy of a legal paper from Rutgers, suggesting that the Committee do more homework. Kathy Arlt, of Ocean Grove, was upset that 80 Main Ave. continues to fall apart while nothing is done. She also mentioned violations at 103 Franklin Ave while complaining that the Township has done practically nothing in using liens to deal with the problem. She claimed that the Township had done more in this regard out in Neptune proper.
Sometimes the best is left for the end—-this was a three hour public meeting with a fair share of fireworks. An angry citizen came to the microphone and said, “You are buying in my name and sticking me with the interest.”
Michael Bascom, the Township’s Chief Financial Officer, replied to her by giving a brilliant, off-the-cuff summary of how government works to avoid overspending and over borrowing. She walked out before he finished, but his statement should be printed and made public . If they send it to me, I will post it on Blogfinger.
BTW that plea agreement settlement was for $35,000; yes! thirty five thousand dollars.
Simon: re your comment nothing is being done about the PARKVIEW. Neptune Township’s legal billing total pursuing the owner to bring the building up to code through 10/26/2013 was $13,412.00. A hard won settlement agreement between Koplitz and Neptune to cover years of fines and liens was in effect when it went into bankruptcy.
Now that will be just another claim among all the others….little chance of collecting much. How much more of our real estate taxes should have been spent and to what avail?
Penny: My “Agree to disagree” refers to how one sees things.. An analogy would be the differences in eyewitness accounts of an accident. Often the statements vary widely, some simply saw it differently.
Bravo reporting on OGHA and fireworks at the Committee Meeting. Sometimes you’re the great smell of boardwalk food.
No calories /cholesterol, but still remarkable effect.
Editor’s note: JTS–thank you—I think.
As for the “great smell of boardwalk food,” you are quite right to have that memory etched in your brain. You took me right back to Coney Island: corn on the cob in big vats of boiling water, Nathan’s hotdogs and fries made fresh every 5 seconds, and Shatzkin’s knishes fresh out of the oven. And don’t forget sausage, pepper and onion sandwiches in Seaside Heights.
Let’s hope for the invention of smellivision.
Ken: “Agree to disagree” is a cop out. It leaves the controversy open like a dead rooster on the kitchen table.
We should talk about how to conduct a discourse on public policy. In this case, a civil collaboration with the Township Committee and its staff is the only way to go. Jumping up and down with indignation is kind of childlike.
I truly find it hard to believe that nothing has been resolved in 14 years concerning 80 Main, and that 7 years have passed since The Parkview mess began. Those involved should be embarrassed saying they’ve done all they can to resolve the situation.
Putting aside the historic issues, (not something dismissed lightly) this comes down to public safety. These structures are fire hazards—-frightening considering the proximity of other structures. Because of age, there are probably environmental issues with lead paint, asbestos and other toxins. The problem of squatters is always a worry.
Will there now be a decade-long legal mess with The Warrington, an even larger structure!
Once again I ask, do the individual owners rights supersede the rights of everyone else to a safe community?
I haven’t followed this issue closely enough to know what the Committee has and hasn’t done but I do know that the rights of the property owner are sacrosant in this country. So I can understand why this might be a very long process. I think that seizing these properties outright and knocking them down is pretty much a non-starter. I understand that the negligent owners have been assessed fines that haven’t been paid and owe taxes on these properties.
I can only imagine what would happen to me if I had five outstanding traffic violations and four years of back taxes….I’m sure my behind would end up behind bars unless I paid what was owned. Can’t these derelict property owners be locked up for a few days/weeks/months for failure to pay? My guess if that this were done, they’d start to act/cooperate very quickly.
Parkview…that’s the biggest “joke” of all. Did you ever notice the full page ad in the annual CMA seasonal event book? Did you ever wonder why the CMA (our “landlord”) and the OG Chamber of Commerce (our basic economic engine) continue to promote the two other guest facilities owned by the same “bad boy” who is delinquent in paying taxes and penalties in addition to sustaining the deplorable Parkview condition?
Ken: I think it’s very satisfying when we can discuss our differences. That’s the whole point of the comments section and the best part of BF. Thanks for participating. If more people took an active interest in public affairs like you do, our system would work so much better. —Paul
Paul: You view through your lens, I through mine. We’ll have to agree to disagree.
I can not understand the Parkview, it sad to see it falling down, and nothing is being done. I just hope nobody is walking past and it falls down on them.The older man living next to it, lives in fear. How can an owner let this happen? It was such a nice place before he purchased it.
The same goes for the Warrington. He had 47 STATE VIOLATIONS, DID HE ANSWER TO ANY OF THEM? And now he wants to make it a hotel?? He should first be accountable for the wrong doings. Then discuss his new intentions.
Fully agree with Devo. Draw up a comprehensive plan of action and do your jobs without being offended by some tough language.
These derelict property owners don’t care one bit about this community and are making a mockery of the town. How long does the Township expect it’s citizens to remain patient? The HOA is doing its job and so is its president- now the Township representation needs to do theirs.
Ken: Whether you or Pres. Horan thought that her response contained “proper indignation,” the end result was that some of the Committee reacted with furor. Is that the kind of communication you think is conducive to progress in solving problems? And similarly, your characterizing their suggestion as being “absurd” is disrespectful and counterproductive.
D.T. I feel President Horan responded spontaneously with proper indignation to the absurd suggestion from the dais that OG residents write their complaints directly to the owners of these properties.
Mary Beth, being an official for the town, should have patience, understanding,and be professional, and do the job your appointed to do not to keep making excuses.
If the Township wanted to get the ball rolling they could. With concerns about health, safety and fire the Warrington,Park View and others should have come down years ago.The Park View is going on 7 years, GIVE ME A BREAK. It’s a shame how these residents have to live in that area.
Many more people need to go to the meetings and maybe we could make enough noise that they would be heard and get things done.
The township should demolish these houses, put a lein on the property and then, if not paid, sell the property to get their (our) money back. I’m tired of the age old excuse used by Neptune Township that tearing houses down costs money….. There is a long enough trail of good faith efforts on these years long) on 3 or four these terrible properties to move to demoishion.
What we need here is action. The time for excuses is over. Horray for the HOA for telling it like it is. Even when shown the evidence on 80 Main, they still want to deny their failure to do something decisive. Neptune Township looks weak and timid. Wite weekly cititations, Demolish, Bring folks to court. Do your jobs!!
To be precise, Mr. Buckley handed two items to the dais. One are the violations noted above. However, he also gave them a document which he urged them to read. He said that it was from Rutger’s Law School and that it offered legal ways to further pursue these offenders.
I wasn’t at the meeting. Blogfinger and Doubting Thomas characterize the HOA president’s meager five minutes in a negative fashion.
As an observer of the Township Committee’s half-hearted concerns for Ocean Grove over 14 years in deference to its related positive economic impact on the entire township, I can only share the frustration of OG homeowners when it comes to slum landlords, derelict housing, truant taxpayers, inadequate peak season parking, multi-unit housing for tax revenue increases, etc.
Was it an “attack” for the right reasons?
DT. Where has diplomatic gotten us for the last 5 years or so.
Houghtaling’s, Bishop’s and Jahn’s responses last night were surprising but also consistent with what they have maintained for years. Repeatedly they have expressed frustration with the Municipal Judge’s minimal fines against violators of the maintenance ordinances,and their attorney agrees.
Jahn has a valid point when she says the current administration is being tarred by the inactions of previous ones. The inch thick file of papers I waved was not a “copy of a legal paper from Rutgers.” It was all the replies to various OPRA requests from Neptune’s: Code and Construction Department. Township attorney Anthony, the HPC, Zoning Board of Adjustment,Tax Office and the Municipal Court that I filed on 80 Main. I handed to the dais a two page single spaced list of the documents, emphasizing that this represents all the hours of work their employees have put in and been paid to deal with 80 Main’s violations dating back to June 26, 2000 (14 yrs. ago) for constructing without permit or HPC approval “2nd floor stairs on the side of building” which is still there.
Testament to Jahn’s assertion of past administrations’ lack of actions against violators is that the many other pages concern only 80 Main’s Notices of Violation, 7/15/2010` to present.
The President of the HOA represents Ocean Grove when she goes before the governing committee of Neptune Township. She should represent us with dignity and a spirit of cooperation. If she were going to speak there last night, it should have been about productive ways to improve the situation of derelict housing, not to go on the attack as she did. (I was there.)
She should be recalled and replaced by someone who knows how to be diplomatic, innovative, and political.
With all due respect to Mary Beth Jahn, she did not attend Saturday’s homeowners’ meeting, so her comments about disrespect are hearsay and in this attendee’s opinion, incorrect.
The derelict housing mess and recent crime in OG as reported on this blog last week raised questions that the committemen appeared reluctant to adequately address.
Publicly naming the owners, maybe signs by the buildings with their names and a list of citations and a timeline of the issues. Advertisements in the local newspapers and websites would maybe help.
80 Main is owned by doctors from the local area who should be ashamed of their actions. Obviously the owner of the Park View has no shame.
I always thought the code department was misguided, concentrating on things they shouldn’t be and forgetting the more important things.
It shouldn’t take “eight years” to find a solution to this important problem in the Grove.
Sadly though, Ocean Grove keeps on helping to elect those that they are disappointed with.
1. The president of the Home Owners Association was presenting the frustration of its membership in dealing with the well-documented problem facing this historic enclave.
2. Sure they can do more: expose the derelict homeowners where they live and work.
3. As for our elected township committee representatives, one would hope they have the ability to respond positively to their constituents’ problems–and related frustrations–whether at a community meeting, at an official governmental session, or on the street. If the kitchen is getting too hot, they ought to get out.