"I think it would be interesting for their neighbors to know that the person living in a mega mansion in Colts Neck is actually a slum lord in Red Bank." - Menna
RB Mayor Speaks Out Against Slumlords Menna would like to publish names of code violators http://www.tworivertimes.com/current/news4.php <http://www.tworivertimes.com/current/news4.php> By John Burton RED BANK - Rental property owners convicted of code violations could see their names in the newspapers, if Mayor Pasquale Menna gets his way. Recently and again at New Year's Day's borough reorganization meeting Menna had indicated he would like to publish the names of landlords, who are often absentee landlords, who are regularly cited by the borough's code enforcement office for violations such as overcrowding. Some of those property owners have been identified only by a limited liability company name, or LLC, in which the property is listed. LLCs are a cross between a corporation and a partnership that legally protects its members' personal assets and limits their responsibility for business debt, as well as offering other certain tax benefits. Menna would like to use the names of the LLCs' members should they be convicted of code endorcement offenses, and have those names published. "I think it would be interesting for their neighbors to know that the person living in a mega- mansion in Colts Neck is actually a slum lord in Red Bank," Menna said. Traditionally, the company would only have to name one member as the managing partner, offering the remaining members a certain level of anonymity. But in the borough, under its "pay-to-play" ordinance, regulating political contributions, contains a provision where all LLC members with a 10 percent or more holding are identified. Last year the borough's zoning board of adjustment and the planning board adopted a policy of disclosing the participants with the same minimum holding, too. The state's land-use laws does permit it, Menna, an attorney, said. The borough's code enforcement office has hired an additional officer and stepped up enforcement, which has led to some property owners being cited for such violations as overcrowding - allegedly using their property as illegal boarding houses. Some of the repeat offenders, Menna has said on a few occasions recently, are from other communities and regularly appear on the society pages of some publications in connection with philanthropic causes. Menna said he would like their philanthropy, "to spill over to be socially conscious as landlords." By doing this, "it raises community sensitivity," Menna said. Menna could not name any other area community that publishes the names of housing code violators, but he said there appear to be no legal constraints against doing it. Once the property owner has been convicted of the violations, that information is in the public records, he explained.
