Opra Request
Dear Clark 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 use the requested government records for a commercial purpose.
I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.
Records requested:
Tax Delinquent
- A list of all property addresses that have an unpaid property tax bill for the last 6 months. Please also include in the list or separately a list of properties whose property tax bill was liened against the property.
Water Shut Off / Utility Liens
- A list of all property addresses that have had their water bill liened against the property, have failed to pay their water bill, or have had the water shut off at any point in the last 6 months.
Fire Damage List
- A list of all property addresses that the fire department has received an emergency call to in the last 90 days.
Code Violation
- A list of property addresses that have received any code violations in the last 6 months
Vacant List
- A list of all properties that the city deems to be currently vacant or abandoned.
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,
Nathan
Your request has been received and will be processed in accordance with the Open Public Records Act.
Edith L. Merkel, RMC
Township Clerk
Township of Clark
430 Westfield Ave.
Clark, NJ 07066
(732) 388-3669
To: Nathan Stallone
From: Edith L. Merkel, Township Clerk, Township of Clark
Re: OPRA request
Date: September 11, 2025
The Township of Clark received your Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request on September 2, 2025. The official Records Custodian, Edith Merkel, received your OPRA request on September 2, 2025. As such, the seven (7) business day deadline to respond to your request is September 11, 2025. This response to your request is being provided to you on the seventh business day after the custodian’s receipt of said request.
Your OPRA request sought access to:
Records requested:
Tax Delinquent
- A list of all property addresses that have an unpaid property tax bill for the last 6 months. Please also include in the list or separately a list of properties whose property tax bill was liened against the property.
Water Shut Off / Utility Liens
- A list of all property addresses that have had their water bill liened against the property, have failed to pay their water bill, or have had the water shut off at any point in the last 6 months.
Fire Damage List
- A list of all property addresses that the fire department has received an emergency call to in the last 90 days.
Code Violation
- A list of property addresses that have received any code violations in the last 6 months
Vacant List
- A list of all properties that the city deems to be currently vacant or abandoned.
Response:
The attached record(s) and responses below are responsive to your request and are provided in their entirety.
From: Elaina Lambert <[email address]>
Sent: Monday, September 8, 2025 10:45 AM
To: Clerk's Dept. <[Clark Township request email]>
Subject: Code Violations
Hi Edie,
This office does not have records of any code violations issued in the last 6 months.
Have a great day,
Elaina Lambert
Technical Assistant to the
Construction Official
(732) 428-8401
The following legal basis applies to responses that include redactions. “A government record shall not include the following information which is deemed to be confidential for the purposes of P.L.1963, c. 73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.) as
amended and supplemented: that portion of any document which discloses the social security number, credit card number, unlisted telephone number or driver license number of any person…”
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 Clark 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.