New Jersey Homeowner's Constant Complaints Leave His Neighbors Paying Pricey Sidewalk Repair Bills
TEANECK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – Residents in one New Jersey community say a neighbor with a grudge against their town is costly them lots of money for pricey sidewalk repairs.
Someone noticed a slight raise in Ana Hernandez's sidewalk on Cranford Place in Teaneck and said it was a tripping hazard.
"That is very annoying," Hernandez said.
"We're being asked to replace this within two months, which is pretty unfair because we did this seven years ago."
She's one of hundreds of homeowners getting letters from the Township of Teaneck - saying fix the problem or "you may be subject to municipal court action."
"Every few weeks, people are getting notifications," another resident said.
In the first three months of this year, there have already been 132 warnings; almost as many as went out in all of 2018.
Records show one resident, Elie Jones, is filing most of the complaints.
"When we receive complaint we're under obligation to send a DPW supervisor to inspect," Township Manager Dean Kazinci said.
CBS2 tried to speak with Mr. Jones twice at his home Thursday, but a person at the residence slammed the door on CBS2's Lisa Rozner.
Jones reportedly told NorthJersey.com he didn't realize homeowners would be on the hook for the pricey repairs, but added "I notified the town of the tripping hazard and they did nothing about it."
Residents want the town to pay for the sidewalk issues, especially in areas where a town tree's roots affect the curb.
Some of the repairs can cost between $400 and $500 per slab and some homes have multiple slabs that need repair, thanks to Jones' complaints.
"It was a pain in the (expletive), but I thought we looked into it and we are responsible to the curb, we were told," another Teaneck resident explained.
According to Teaneck officials, Jones has a history of issues with the township. They claim the disgruntled resident has publicly said he wants to disrupt municipal operations.
