Send message to landlords
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 02/19/07
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The occupants of a house in Asbury Park were fortunate no one was
injured when a fire broke out there recently next to the city's
firehouse. Their good fortune and that of the landlord's is
likely to be short-lived.
Fire officials later determined that the residence, which contained
three apartments, housed 35 people. Extra beds and mattresses were
found throughout, including the attic. Many residents were sleeping
on hardwood floors with their personal space set off by their
belongings, fire officials said.
The landlord will pay, though likely not enough. And the illegal
tenants, all believed to be from Mexico, will have their immigration
status checked. At the very least, they will need a new place to stay.
The owner of the house, Star Express LLC, was cited with seven
violations, including overcrowding and lack of adequate exits from
the attic space, officials said. But it's doubtful the fines will
come close to matching the monthly rental income the landlord derived
from the illegal tenants.
Asbury Park is far from the only municipality coping with severe code
violations. Lakewood, Freehold, Long Branch and other municipalities
with large immigrant populations, large inventories of multi-unit
residences and unscrupulous landlords have trouble keeping up with
the problem.
The federal government's failure to address the immigration issue has
exacerbated the problem. Until it acts, it will be up to local
government to deal with it. Freehold is on the right track in trying
to deal with overcrowding and building and fire code violations.
Asbury Park officials should pick up a copy of the borough's Rental
Property Advisory Committee recommendations and use them as a
starting point for updating their own policies. The city also should
send a message to other slumlords by throwing the book at Star
Express.
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