Monthly Archives: May 2015

The Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced that it have reached an agreement with Garden Homes and its affiliated companies to settle their alleged failure to control stormwater discharges.  These failures potentially resulted in pollutant discharges to the Passaic, Hackensack, Rahway, Raritan, Saddle and Delaware River watersheds

Wyndham Exchange & Rentals, part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies (NYSE: WYN), announced the appointment of Lisa Calicchio, SPHR, to the position of executive vice president, Global Human Resources. Based in the company’s Parsippany N.J. headquarters, Calicchio will lead strategic efforts to enhance the vacation exchange and rental company’s Human Resources (HR) function across the organization

Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman announced that a mortgage broker from Jersey City was sentenced to state prison today for laundering the proceeds of a criminal scheme in which he conspired to steal more than $1.2 million from lenders by filing fraudulent mortgage applications, diverting mortgage proceeds and falsifying settlement statements.

Grande Apartments, located at 240 West Sumner Ave. in this Union County suburb, has been sold for $12.17 million in a trade arranged by the multi-family investment brokerage firm Gebroe-Hammer Associates of Livingston. The team of Managing Director Joseph Brecher and Senior Vice President Stephen Tragash exclusively represented the seller, Sumner Rose LLC, and procured the buyer, Landmark Companies, LLC. Previously, Gebroe-Hammer arranged the sale of the same property in 2006

Continuing the Christie Administration’s ongoing efforts to better help Sandy-impacted families who are recovering from the storm, the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) today announced it has increased the monetary amount and the number of months the Rental Assistance (RAP) Program provides homeowners with financial assistance for temporary housing while their primary residences are undergoing repair or elevation in the State’s major home rebuilding programs

New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) Executive Director Anthony L. Marchetta recently joined local officials, community leaders, and representatives of HANDS, Inc. to break ground on Hat City Lofts, a 32-unit affordable housing community located in the City of Orange, Essex County. The HMFA, an affiliate of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA), is providing a total of approximately $4.3 million in financing for the project through a construction loan and its Choices in Home Ownership Incentives Created for Everyone (CHOICE) program

Assembly Republican Budget Officer Declan O’Scanlon, R-Monmouth, released this statement after discussions during today’s Assembly Budget Hearing regarding the volatility of the state’s gross income tax (GIT) and its impact on the state budget

Mayor John G. Ducey is proud to announce the kickoff of a pilot program for a Community Garden in Brick. The pilot program will provide 10 raised garden beds located at the Township’s Havens Homestead (Havens Farm) property on Herbertsville Road. The garden beds are available to Township residents who do not have an area available to them for growing their own flowers, fruits and vegetables.

Assemblymen Dave Rible and Sean Kean, both R-Monmouth and Ocean, recently introduced legislation that gives municipalities protection from lawsuits that could force them to build hundreds of units of affordable housing

According to the annual, national report released today, New Jersey is the fifth most expensive location in the nation to rent a two bedroom apartment; only Hawaii, California, and New York are less affordable.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) today announced a new AmeriCorps program designed to prepare economically disadvantaged youth for 21st-century green jobs and enhance youth violence prevention strategies, while addressing the complex issues of water quality and storm water management in Camden, N.J.

The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey recently hosted an open house reception to announce a federal grant award to fund programs for pregnant women and families with children. As a result of this award, the Partnership has expanded its office space at 50 Union Ave., a signature Irvington, N.J., office tower. The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health occupies approximately 4,100 square feet at the newly renovated 40 and 50 Union Avenue Medical/Professional Office Campus.

“Property taxpayers shouldn’t be socked to make up the difference when big companies leave New Jersey over higher taxes and costs,” said Schepisi. “We have to put the breaks on these built in tax hikes to protect the residents and businesses that are staying to help us rebuild our economy.”

Assemblyman Dave Wolfe and Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose’s legislation to help ease the financial burden on the families of New Jersey military personnel serving overseas earned the approval of the General Assembly today. The bill, A-1183, authorizes a “Support the Troops” specialty license plate with the proceeds earmarked for the families of New Jersey military personnel who are serving overseas

Assemblyman Anthony M. Bucco, R-Morris and Somerset, has requested a regulation change to benefit our veterans and the greater community surrounding VFW and American Legion posts. For many years, these posts were provided access to Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding through county governments.

The Homeowners Consumer Center is urging homeowners in New York or New Jersey to call them anytime at 866-714-6466 if they received a less than adequate settlement from their homeowners insurance company for severe storm or fire damage to their home, with the only proviso the damage and settlement has to have occurred within the last two years.

Senior staff from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA) today joined local officials and representatives of the Orange Housing Development Corporation and The Alpert Group, LLC, to celebrate the groundbreaking of Walter G. Alexander III, a 42-unit affordable housing development

Bergen County, NJ is among the most aggressively priced and highest-barrier-to-entry multi-family investment markets in the region, according to the brokerage professionals at Gebroe-Hammer Associates. In a recent two-week timeframe, the Livingston-based brokerage firm arranged three separate apartment building sales in the county, which accounts for approximately 10 percent of New Jersey’s overall population.

Legislation sponsored by Assembly Republican Robert Auth to help cleanup contaminated waterways with shellfish earned approval from the Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. Auth’s bill, A-3944, would lift Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP’s) ban on the cultivation of shellfish in inner harbor and coastal waters for restoration, research or educational purposes

Construction activities will commence on May 11, 2015 on Hudson Street between 14th Street and 15th Street. During construction, which is expected to last four to six months, the 1400 block of Hudson Street will be closed to all vehicular and pedestrian traffic.