Property Records
Dear West Milford Township,
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:
1. A list of all residential vacant land, single family, and multi family properties that are delinquent on their taxes, behind 1-3 years from today. Please include balance owed, address, and owner name.
2. A list of all residential single family, and multi family properties with code violations on them for the last 3 months from today. Address, and owner name provided please.
3. A list of all residential single family and multi family properties that are delinquent on their utilities. Address, owner name, and balance owed provided please.
4. A list of all residential single family and multi family properties that are flagged abandoned.
5. A list of all residential single family and multi family properties that are fire damaged in the past month.
Yours faithfully,
Jordan Santiago
This office received a request for information from you on February 25,
2021 to which we assigned the above referenced number used to log requests
for information under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA).
Attached please find the responsive records to your requests #1. and #4.
*# 4 Properties may or may not be abandoned but are in foreclosure or have
been registered as vacant, abandoned or foreclosed.
There are no responsive records for requests #3. and #5.
#2. Your request as written is overly broad and invalid under the Open
Public Records Act. Your request fails to identify specific property
addresses for the requested records; please resubmit your request with the
specific Block and Lot and/or property address so that I may fulfill your
request.
In January 2011, the Government Records Council (GRC) promulgated the
fifth edition of the Custodian’s Handbook which provides on page 20 as
follows:
“A custodian is obligated to search her files to find the identifiable
government records listed in the Complainant’s OPRA request. A custodian
is not required to research her files to figure out which records, if any,
might be responsive to a broad and unclear OPRA request.”
This office cannot assume the burden of ensuring that all responsive
records have been provided unless it is clearly understood which records
are being sought. The request as written is overly broad and invalid
under OPRA and in accordance with MAG Entertainment LLC. v. Div. of ABC,
375 N.J. Super. 534 (App. Div. 2005). See also Bent vs. Stafford Police
Department, 381 N.J. Super. 30,37 (App. Div. 2005) where the Appellate
Division held that a proper request under OPRA must identify with
reasonable clarity those documents that are desired.
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Thank you,
Judy
Judy Kehr
Office of the Township Clerk
Township of West Milford
973-728-2701
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Dear Judy Kehr ([email address]),
Hello, thank you.
For #2, I am looking for code violations with high grass, abandoned vehicle, unsafe property, junk/garage. I do not have a block and lot, are you unable to send me a list of all properties that have those code violations?
Yours sincerely,
Jordan Santiago
By way of this email, I am asking the Zoning Office to answer your inquiry directly...
Thank you,
Judy
Hello,
The Zoning Department is unable to fulfill your request for #2 as there is no way to pull up all property maintenance violations specifically for high grass, abandoned vehicles, unsafe property, and junk/garbage. We will need a block and lot number or the address of the property.
Thanks