By Noah Botwinick | Published October 6, 2023 | Posted in Real Estate | Comments Off on “AS IS” PROVISION IN REAL ESTATE CONTRACT NOT ENOUGH TO EXCUSE WITHHOLDING MATERIAL DEFECTS, APPELLATE DIVISION FINDS
A recent unreported New Jersey Appellate Division decision highlights a seller’s responsibility to disclose real estate defects and the limits of “as is” clauses. In that case, Battaglia v. Aversa, 2023 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 1576, the plaintiff purchased a home. The home inspection did not reveal any potential water issues. The contract explicitly stated Read More
Read MoreWith the passing of the “Uniform Public Expression Protection Act” (S-2802/A-4393) this month, the New Jersey legislature has reaffirmed its dedication to preserving freedom of speech in the state. The Act is designed to protect people from Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (“SLAPP”), which are meritless civil lawsuits filed by powerful entities and individuals solely Read More
Read MoreIn an important decision decided last week, the New Jersey Appellate Division held that interested parties seeking adjudicatory hearings before the DEP can petition the DEP to rule on the request within thirty days. The case, Musconetcong Watershed Ass’n v. N.J. Dep’t of Envtl. Prot., 2023 N.J. Super. LEXIS 81, was initiated when Hampton Farm, Read More
Read MoreThis week, Governor Murphy signed into law Senate Bill S2802, known as the “Uniform Public Expression Protection Act,” (the “Act”) adding New Jersey to the list of over 30 states that have adopted Anti-SLAPP legislation. A “Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation” (“SLAPP lawsuit”) is a strategic maneuver wherein a civil suit is brought against an Read More
Read MoreIn a widely publicized decision published last week, the United States Supreme Court (“SCOTUS”) held that Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) authority to regulate wetlands of the United States pursuant to the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) extends only to wetlands that are indistinguishable from waters of the United States. In that case, Sackett v. EPA, Read More
Read MoreA recent decision by the Superior Court of New Jersey’s Appellate Division demonstrates how strictly courts will construe lease provisions, even in the face of a pandemic and a strict executive order directly affecting the subject of the lease. In that case, Washington-Hudson Assocs. II v. Town Sports Int’l Holdings, 2023 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS Read More
Read MoreThis week, in an unpublished decision, the Superior Court of New Jersey’s Appellate Division upheld the North Bergen Board of Adjustment (“Board”)’s approval of an application for development of property in North Bergen after it was challenged by an LLC from a neighboring town (“Plaintiff”). In Riverside Dev. Studies Llc v. N. Bergen Bd. of Read More
Read MoreThis week, Governor Murphy signed Executive Order No. 315, accelerating New Jersey’s goal of reaching 100% clean energy in the state by the year 2035. The State had previously declared a goal of reaching this target by the year 2050. The Governor also announced that it is initiating the process to adopt Advanced Clean Cars Read More
Read MoreLast week, New Jersey’s Appellate Division found that a former trustee of a condominium association’s board was entitled to recover certain fees and costs pursuant to the association’s indemnification provision. In that case, Boyle v. Huff, 2023 N.J. Super. Unpub. LEXIS 85, a trustee (Plaintiff) who had been kicked off a condo association’s board filed Read More
Read MoreThis week, in In re Dep’t of Envtl. Prot. Direct Oversight Determination, No. A-0635-20, 2023 WL-125229 (App. Div. Jan. 9, 2023), New Jersey’s Appellate Division affirmed a Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) determination that a manufacturing plant was subject to direct oversight of its remediation of discharged hazardous substances. In 2019, the DEP issued Read More
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