28 Holland Mt. Road, Oak Ridge- Lot 9.09 Block 522
Dear Jefferson Township,
Please accept this electronic request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form or use a particular software platform to submit my request per NJSA 47:1A-6(f), which states that an email from a requestor including all of the information required on the adopted form shall suffice in place of a completed form as a valid government record request.
I HAVE NOT been convicted of any indictable offense under the laws of New Jersey, any other state, or the United States.
I WILL NOT use the requested government records for a commercial purpose.
I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.
Records requested: Permit history information about oil tank, building, alterations, septic install and repair. Purchasing the home and looking for any information on repairs, alterations done to the property. Has septic been repaired? When was it installed? when was it serviced?
My preferred delivery method for response(s) to this request is by E-mail as attachments. Please confirm you have received this request. If you are not the custodian of records, please forward my request to that person and provide their email address to me for future reference.
Yours faithfully,
Sandra Campione
Dear Sandra Campione:
The Jefferson Township Clerk’s Office received your request (the “Request”) under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. (“OPRA”). In your request, you sought access to the following:
Records requested: Permit history information about oil tank, building, alterations, septic install and repair. Purchasing the home and looking for any information on repairs, alterations done to the property. Has septic been repaired? When was it installed? when was it serviced?
Response: Please note that OPRA is a request for specific, identifiable documents and that requests for “information” or “any/all” is not a proper request. A proper request under OPRA must identify with reasonable clarity those documents that are desired, and a party cannot satisfy this requirement by simply requesting all of an agency's documents. See Bent v. Stafford Police Department, 381 N.J.Super. 30, 37 (App. Div. 2005). Custodians are not required to conduct research or create new records in response to an OPRA request.
In an attempt to be helpful, a copy of the permit log has been provided, which indicates open/closed. A copy of the UST/AST CA and septic permit have been provided, redacted to remove personal identifying information pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 (privacy) and N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1 (confidential information).
If these are not the records you seek, please clarify your request.
If you have questions regarding Building Department records, please call 973-208-6110.
If you have questions regarding Health Department records, please call 973-208-6124.
If your request for access to a government record has been denied or unfilled within the seven (7) business days required by law, you have a right to challenge the decision by the Township of Jefferson to deny access. At your option, you may either institute a proceeding in the Superior Court of New Jersey or file a complaint with the Government Records Council (GRC) by completing the Denial of Access Complaint Form. You may contact the GRC by toll-free telephone at 866-850-0511, by mail at P.O. Box 819, Trenton, NJ, 08625, by e-mail at [email address], or at their web site at www.state.nj.us/grc. The GRC can also answer other questions about the law. All questions regarding complaints filed in Superior Court should be directed to the Court Clerk in your County.
If you have any questions, please contact me either via email at [email address] or by telephone at 973-208-6132.
Best Regards,
Amanda L. Nevins, RMC, CMR
Deputy Township Clerk
Township of Jefferson
1033 Weldon Rd
Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849
973-208-6132