Renters and Apartment Owners v Ocean Township
Citizens Fight Back Against Ocean Township’s Unconstitutional Effort to Limit Rentals
A class action has been filed on behalf of renters and rental property owners in Ocean Township, New Jersey. The case alleges that the Township has enacted unreasonable and unconstitutional ordinances to reduce the number of rental property units within city limits. The plaintiffs seek to enjoin the city from enforcing these ordinances.
The complaint was filed by Ocean Citizens Against Housing Discrimination, an association of tenants and rental property owners. They allege that the Township, in an effort to discourage property rentals and increase the number of owner-occupied units within city limits, enacted an ordinance prohibiting the rental of a single residential unit to multiple individuals not related by blood or marriage. Plaintiffs allege this ordinance violates numerous federal and state fair housing laws and unfairly discriminates against certain groups, particularly the large number of college students who rent within the Township.
The complaint further alleges that another ordinance which limits the issuance of rental property certificates of occupancy in certain zones of the city to one per year, discriminates against both tenants and prospective rental property owners. Plaintiffs seek to have the ordinances declared unconstitutional and invalid. In addition, they seek compensatory and punitive damages.
This is the second class action lawsuit to be filed in recent days regarding efforts to limit rental housing in the vicinity of Monmouth College. A similar action was filed September 10, 2004 against the City of Long Branch, which also has high numbers of student tenants and enacted ordinances similar to those at issue in this case.
