By Andrew Martins
Staff Writer
JACKSON – Township Council President Robert Nixon is asking Jackson residents to remain vigilant in an ongoing attempt to stymie unwanted real estate solicitation.
During a March 8 meeting, Nixon said a March 3 fire in neighboring Lakewood prompted him to call on residents to continue watching for solicitors and for the possible illegal use of homes in Jackson.
“In every town, in every state, the one thing that matters the most is the maintenance and protection of the quality of life of (the town’s) residents and the enforcement of its codes and laws,” Nixon said.
The councilman’s appeal to residents came less than a week after a fire revealed an illegal dormitory that was housing more than 20 students of a yeshiva (school) on East Avenue in Lakewood.
Lakewood officials said the building was zoned as a single-family home. In order for a building to be used as a dormitory, the state’s Dormitory Safety Trust Fund Act requires that a fire suppression system be installed. No such safeguard was in place at the home where the fire occurred, according to Lakewood representatives.
Nixon said the fire led to concern among himself and his fellow council members, and in the community. He noted that real estate agents who may represent the region’s Orthodox Jewish community have been attempting to purchase houses and land in Jackson on the municipality’s border with Lakewood.
Lakewood has an Orthodox Jewish community that numbers in the tens of thousands of residents.
“While no one was killed in the (March 3) blaze, the incident reminds us there are no excuses to justify the blatant disregard of laws that are designed to protect the health and safety of people,” Nixon said.
Jackson officials said that in recent weeks, residents have reported properties they believe were being used improperly based on the township’s code and occupancy limits.
Nixon said the reports are linked to an ongoing concern among some Jackson residents that their homes are being targeted by individuals who want to purchase them, even if the resident has not listed the home for sale.
“The improper tactics of (real estate agents), real estate speculators, panic peddlers and blockbusters hoping to prey on Jackson is an issue that concerns us all,” Nixon said.”If you see something, say something.”
Jackson residents may sign up to be placed on the “no knock” registry. Solicitors receive a list of residents who do not want to be approached.
“Don’t believe those people who attempt to flippantly dismiss this (no knock) tool. Our law is strong, it is effective and its penalties hit harder than laws that have been passed in towns nearby,” Nixon said. “Jackson and its residents must use enforcement and the tools provided by federal and state laws to address anyone who is willing to ignore clearly defined rules of conduct.”
A solicitor who conducts business at a home that is on the no knock registry and displays a no knock decal will be subject to a $1,250 fine and the revocation of any peddler’s license he may hold. An individual who is convicted of violating the no knock registry provisions will face up to 90 days in jail.
In the event a resident is solicited while his name appears on the no knock registry or is aggressively approached by someone regarding the potential sale of his home, Nixon said the incident should be reported to Jackson’s code enforcement and police departments, and to the Ocean County and New Jersey boards of Realtors as a complaint about aggressive tactics.
“We are a wonderful and welcoming community, but we are bound to live by the same rules and the same laws,” Nixon said. “Respect for the law equals respect for each other.”
