Dear New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Division of Housing and Community Resources,

This is a request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form. Please acknowledge receipt of this message.
Records requested:

This is a clarification for 3 previous requests for information regarding the RREM grant program. The last response I received listed numerous properties in New Jersey that had been funded and then "unfunded". When I reviewed widely available public information I noticed a substantial number of properties that had previously been listed as "funded" and then "unfunded" seemed to have substantial amounts of new construction and elevations before they ended up in a sheriff sale for pennies on the dollar, most often to banks or third party LLCs.

Furthermore when I looked up the county records I noticed in nearly 100% of the "unfunded" properties that had substantial new construction and/or elevation done, the restrictive covenants were still in effect. So what exactly does the DCA mean when they list a property that was previously listed as funded and then unfunded yet there is ample evidence to support a lot of funding happened.

Put another way, when the DCA lists a property as "unfunded" does that mean ZERO dollars went to the grantee? Or SOM E dollars went to the grantee? If there has been 'some' funding can I please have the funding amounts given to the now "unfunded" list?

And lastly I noticed almost 100% the foreclosures I looked at where the plaintiff names the DCA as a defendant not one time do I see the DCA answer the complaint. Why is that? What is the policy on that?

In my own on going investigations I can conservatively state that near 15% of all the eligible RREM grant recipients went into foreclosure while utilizing the grant with banks getting newly constructed and nearly completed properties for sometimes as little as $1000.00.

Thank you in advance for your attention to this request.

Yours respectfully,

Mary Lisa