We received your Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request (OPRA REQUEST #2018-07-15) on 7-15-18. The official Records Custodian, Ben Angeli, received your OPRA request on 7-23-18. As such, the seven (7) business day deadline to respond to your request is 8-1-18.

Your OPRA request sought access to the following:

Copies all residential municipal tax abatement applications received for the years 2015, 2016, 2017.

Your request requires additional time beyond the seven (7) business days to fulfill because of the size of the request. OPRA allows custodians to seek extensions of time pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5.i. Specifically, OPRA states that, “the requestor shall be advised by the custodian when the record can be made available. If the record is not made available by that time, access shall be deemed denied.”

Your request requires an extension of time until 8-27-18.

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 [insert name of Agency] 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.

Ben Angeli

Municipal Clerk

Borough of Stratford

307 Union Avenue

Stratford, New Jersey 08084

Phone 856-783-0600

Fax 856-783-7949

________________________________________
From: John Allen [[OPRA #2160 email]]
Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2018 9:31 AM
To: Angeli, Ben
Subject: Open Public Records Act request - Ora Liens Tax abatements

Dear Stratford Borough,

This is a request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. Please acknowledge receipt of this message.
Records requested:

Copies all residential municipal tax abatement applications received for the years 2015, 2016, 2017.

Copies of all resolutions authorizing municipal liens for the years 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this UNIQUE email address for all replies to this request and no other:
[OPRA #2160 email]

Is [email address] the wrong address for Open Public Records Act requests to Stratford Borough? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://opramachine.com/change_request/n...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://opramachine.com/help/officers

View this OPRA request & responses online:
https://opramachine.com/request/ora_lien...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an OPRA custodian, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's website.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

In response to your OPRA REQUEST #2018-07-16, (Copies of all resolutions authorizing municipal liens for the years 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018) please see our response below:

There are no records available for the items you have requested .

Should you disagree with my finding, please allow me the opportunity to converse with you for potential further clarification before proceeding with steps listed below.

If you feel a record has been denied or omitted, please see information below as to you options:

C.47:1A-6 Proceeding to challenge denial of access to record.
A person who is denied access to a government record by the custodian of the record, at the option of the requester, may:

- Institute a proceeding to challenge the custodian's decision by filing an action in Superior Court which shall be heard in the vicinage where it is filed by a Superior Court Judge who has been designated to hear such cases because of that judge's knowledge and expertise in matters relating to access to government records; or

- In lieu of filing an action in Superior Court, file a complaint with the Government Records Council established pursuant to section 8 of P.L. 2001, c.404 (C.47:1A-7).

The right to institute any proceeding under this section shall be solely that of the requestor. Any such proceeding shall proceed in a summary or expedited manner. The public agency shall have the burden of proving that the denial of access is authorized by law. If it is determined that access has been improperly denied, the court or agency head shall order that access be allowed. A requestor who prevails in any proceeding shall be entitled to reasonable attorney's fee.

Ben Angeli

Municipal Clerk

Borough of Stratford

307 Union Avenue

Stratford, New Jersey 08084

Phone 856-783-0600

Fax 856-783-7949

________________________________________
From: John Allen [[OPRA #2160 email]]
Sent: Sunday, July 15, 2018 9:31 AM
To: Angeli, Ben
Subject: Open Public Records Act request - Ora Liens Tax abatements

Dear Stratford Borough,

This is a request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. Please acknowledge receipt of this message.
Records requested:

Copies all residential municipal tax abatement applications received for the years 2015, 2016, 2017.

Copies of all resolutions authorizing municipal liens for the years 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this UNIQUE email address for all replies to this request and no other:
[OPRA #2160 email]

Is [email address] the wrong address for Open Public Records Act requests to Stratford Borough? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://opramachine.com/change_request/n...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://opramachine.com/help/officers

View this OPRA request & responses online:
https://opramachine.com/request/ora_lien...

Please note that in some cases publication of requests and responses will be delayed.

If you find this service useful as an OPRA custodian, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's website.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

We do not authorize municipal liens by resolution.

We do authorize maintenance liens by resolution.

If you want to resubmit your request asking for maintenance liens authorized by resolution, we can provide those documents.

You can also contact me by phone if you would like to clarify your request.

Ben Angeli

Municipal Clerk

Borough of Stratford

307 Union Avenue

Stratford, New Jersey 08084

Phone 856-783-0600

Fax 856-783-7949

________________________________________
From: John Allen [[OPRA #2160 email]]
Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2018 7:35 AM
To: Angeli, Ben
Subject: Re: OPRA REQUEST #2018-07-16

Dear Angeli, Ben,
Our media group disagrees that Stratford has no liens and that you are concealing records from the public.
We appeal this determination. We ask for the documents requested. This appeal will be filed with GRC and posted on the OPRA Facebook pages.

show quoted sections

In response to your OPRA REQUEST #2018-07-15, (Copies all residential municipal tax abatement applications received for the years 2015, 2016, 2017),

please find the information included with this cover letter.

Should you disagree with my finding, please allow me the opportunity to converse with you for potential further clarification before proceeding with steps listed below.

If you feel a record has been denied or omitted, please see information below as to you options:

C.47:1A-6 Proceeding to challenge denial of access to record.
A person who is denied access to a government record by the custodian of the record, at the option of the requester, may:

- Institute a proceeding to challenge the custodian's decision by filing an action in Superior Court which shall be heard in the vicinage where it is filed by a Superior Court Judge who has been designated to hear such cases because of that judge's knowledge and expertise in matters relating to access to government records; or

- In lieu of filing an action in Superior Court, file a complaint with the Government Records Council established pursuant to section 8 of P.L. 2001, c.404 (C.47:1A-7).

The right to institute any proceeding under this section shall be solely that of the requestor. Any such proceeding shall proceed in a summary or expedited manner. The public agency shall have the burden of proving that the denial of access is authorized by law. If it is determined that access has been improperly denied, the court or agency head shall order that access be allowed. A requestor who prevails in any proceeding shall be entitled to reasonable attorney's fee.

Ben Angeli

Municipal Clerk

Borough of Stratford

307 Union Avenue

Stratford, New Jersey 08084

Phone 856-783-0600

Fax 856-783-7949