Housing authority moneys spent by Gerry Sanzari and Robert Farley
Dear North Bergen 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:
Any and all information regarding finances spent by Gerry Sanzari and Chief Robert Farley using housing authority funds in the last three years. Any written letter of permission allowing Gerry Sanzari and Robert Farley to use housing authority funds for private use such as new tailor made suits, money for home repairs and alcohol for private family parties. Please include statements of these purchases and amounts of the money spent. Also, please include any documentation of criminal investigations regarding theft of housing authority money by Mr. Sanzari and Mr. Farley, thank you .
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,
Anonymous Requestor
Dear Ms. Randon:
The Township of North Bergen writes in response to your request dated April 1, 2025, submitted pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”), N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.
You requested:
1. "Any and all information regarding finances spent by Gerry Sanzari and Chief Robert Farley using housing authority funds in the last three years."
Response: A request seeking “any and all information” is not a proper OPRA request. In order for a request to be valid under OPRA, a requestor must seek specific, identifiable records. See MAG Entertainment, LLC v. Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, 375 N.J. Super. 534 (App. Div. 2005). A request for “information” regarding “finances” does not reasonably identify a specific government record. Accordingly, your request is denied.
2. "Any written letter of permission allowing Gerry Sanzari and Robert Farley to use housing authority funds for private use such as new tailor made suits, money for home repairs and alcohol for private family parties."
Response: Please be advised there are no government record responsive to your request.
3. " Please include statements of these purchases and amounts of the money spent."
Response: Please be advised there are no government record responsive to your request.
4. "Also, please include any documentation of criminal investigations regarding theft of housing authority money by Mr. Sanzari and Mr. Farley"
Response: This request is improper. In order for a request to be valid under OPRA, a requestor must seek specific, identifiable records. See MAG Entertainment, LLC v. Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, 375 N.J. Super. 534 (App. Div. 2005). A request for “documentation,” particularly without temporal limitation, fails to seek a specific, identifiable record. Furthermore, records pertaining to criminal investigations, to the extent they exist, are exempt pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1.1 (criminal investigatory records).
As with any OPRA request, you have the right to challenge the decision by the Township. 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 PO Box 819, Trenton, NJ 08625, by e-mail at [email address], or at its web site at www.state.nj.us/grc. The Council can also answer other questions about the law. All questions regarding complaints filed in Superior Court should be directed to the Court Clerk in Hudson County.
Thank you.
Erin Barillas, RMC
Township Clerk
Township of North Bergen
4233 Kennedy Blvd.
North Bergen, NJ 07047
e: [North Bergen Township request email]
o: 201-392-2024
f: 201-330-7694
www.northbergen.org