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Barrage Of Citizen Complaints Aims To Get New Jersey Town On Top Of Fixing Sidewalks

TEANECK, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - Repairs are underway all over one Bergen county town and its costing homeowners thousands of dollars.

As CBS2 reported last week, many of the repairs are prompted by one resident whose filed dozens of complaints, reports CBS2's Lisa Rozner.

Teaneck resident Elie Jones showed off what he says are tripping hazards all over town.

Jones has been filing dozens of sidewalk complaints since November when he almost fell.

"This is about 4 to 5 inches," he said. "Anything like this has to be repaired... Could trip here and fall break my neck."

He says he believes the township is responsible to pay for sidewalk problems when they are caused by town trees. Some residents have formed an online petition calling on the town to step up.

Jones says he notes problems when he goes for walks with his family. The complaints have the town telling homeowners they must pay to fix the sidewalk in two months or face municipal court action.

"The township should be monitoring the sidewalks and repairing them," said Jones.

"Roots from the trees are whats causing the pavement to rise up ,so that should be the expense of the township," said Teaneck resident Sheila Robinson.

"In another 10 years, when these slabs lift up again, we're going to have the same problem all over," said Larry Paporello, another resident of Teaneck. "Then they're going to pay to cut the trees down."

CBS2 went back to the town manager Monday who again clarified that the town will only replace a sidewalk when the tree is damaged by a storm or a road project.

Councilman Henry Pruitt says he's had to replace slabs too.

"It would be impossible for taxpayers of Teaneck to take on the burden of repairing everyone's sidewalk," he said.

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(Credit: CBS2)

Jones, who has had other legal beefs with the town, says his complaints are in no way retaliatory. He in fact calls himself a public advocate.

"Now this one right here's a little lower," he said, pointing out one instance. "I might replace this one myself."

He says if his sidewalk has a crack, he'll gladly pay to fix it and he's even willing to heop residents fight the town if their sidewalks were damaged by town trees. People interested in taking Jones up on his offer can contact him at Ecj1j@aol.com.

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