Dear Chester 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:
Active Code Violation List Request for 05/29/2025 to 08/29/2025. I kindly request a list of all UNRESOLVED or OPEN code violations (please do not include closed violations) for all properties in the city during this time period, specifically related to property maintenance, structural issues, and weeds, tall grass, water shutoffs, Mold/Mildew. Please include descriptions of the violations, property addresses, and violation dates, homeowner's name. I also prefer for the document to be sent here in OPRA, not in my email (sometimes it does not appear in my inbox).

Please provide these requests in excel or google sheets format, documents must be in format requested per OPRA

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,

Armando Aguilon

Dear Chester Township,

I hope this email finds you well.
I'm writing to follow up on my email from August 30, 2025, regarding requesting list of OPEN and Active cod violations. I haven't yet received an acknowledgment and wanted to see if you've had a chance to look at it.
I understand you may be busy, but if you could provide a brief update on the status of my request, I would greatly appreciate it. Please let me know if you need any further information or clarification from my end.
Thank you for your time and assistance.

Yours faithfully,
Armando Aguilon

Dear Robin Collins,

Thank you for your response to my OPRA request dated August 30, 2025, and for confirming that it was received on September 2, 2025.

While I understand that no responsive records were found, I would like to provide additional clarification to help ensure the scope of my request is fully understood and interpreted accurately.

I am requesting a list of all unresolved or open code violations for properties within the municipality for the time period of May 28, 2025, through August 28, 2025, specifically related to the following categories:

1. Tall Grass / Weeds
Violation: Grass or vegetation exceeding maximum height
Relevant Code: Property Maintenance Code – Section 302.4 – Weeds

2. Mold / Mildew
Violation: Presence of mold or mildew creating unsanitary conditions
Relevant Code: Property Maintenance Code – Section 305 – Interior Surfaces

3. Junk / Inoperable Vehicle
Violation: Inoperable or unregistered motor vehicles on premises
Relevant Code: Section 302.8 – Motor Vehicles

4. Excessive Vehicles / Parking Violations
Violation: Excessive or inoperable vehicles parked on residential property
Relevant Code: Local Zoning or Nuisance Ordinances

5. Water Shutoff / Utility Nonpayment
Violation: Properties with water service terminated due to nonpayment
Note: This may not fall under code enforcement, but is often maintained by the Water Utility Department or Billing Office.

6. Structural Issues
Violation: Unsafe or compromised structural elements
Relevant Code: Section 304 – Exterior / Section 305 – Interior Structure

7. Condemned / Unsafe Buildings
Violation: Condemned properties or those deemed unsafe to occupy
Relevant Code: Section 108 – Unsafe Structures and Equipment

8. General Disrepair
Violation: Failure to maintain property; visible signs of disrepair
Relevant Code: Section 304.1 – General Maintenance

9. Gutters / Drainage Issues
Violation: Improper or blocked gutter and drainage systems
Relevant Code: Section 507 – Storm Drainage

10. Electrical Violations
Violation: Improperly installed or hazardous electrical systems
Relevant Code: Section 604 – Electrical Facilities

Requested Format:
Please provide the responsive records (if available) in Excel or Google Sheets format. Each entry should include:

Description of the violation

Property address

Date of violation

Homeowner’s name (if not redacted under exemption)

I am seeking only open or unresolved violations — please do not include violations that have been resolved or closed.

If any category falls under a different department (e.g., Utilities or Zoning), I respectfully request that this request be forwarded to the appropriate custodian and that I be provided with their contact information.

Thank you very much for your time and assistance. Please feel free to contact me if any clarification is needed.

Sincerely,
Armando Aguilon

Dear Ms. Collins,

Thank you for your reply to my OPRA request. I must respectfully note that while records were provided, they were sent in PDF format. As outlined in my original request, I specifically asked for the records to be provided in Excel or CSV format.

Under N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(d), when a requestor specifies the medium in which a record is sought, the custodian of records must provide it in that medium if the agency maintains the record in that format. Since these records are maintained in a database or spreadsheet format, they are “readily convertible” to Excel or CSV.

Additionally, case law (MAG Entertainment, LLC v. Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control, 375 N.J. Super. 534, 549 (App. Div. 2005)) confirms that public agencies must provide records in the format requested when they are easily available in that medium.

Accordingly, I respectfully request that you re-issue the responsive records in Excel or CSV format as required by OPRA. If you contend that the Borough does not maintain the records in such a format, please provide a written certification stating that fact, as required by the statute.

Thank you again for your time and attention. I look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,
Armando Aguilon