Secaucus Will Crack Down On Illegal Apartments In Town

SECAUCUS, NJ — Secaucus plans to hire a zoning officer specifically to go after the many illegal apartments in town, Mayor Mike Gonnelli confirmed.

The news was first announced at the most recent town Council meeting, held on May 22. The Council passed an ordinance to ban unlawful residential units in town. Every Council person voted for the ordinance with the exception of Councilman Mark Dehnert.

The number of illegal apartments in Secaucus has grown to become a big problem, the mayor said. Illegal apartments are leading to overcrowded schools, as well as increased demand on town resources such as garbage pickup and sewer usage. Illegal tenants are also making it more difficult to park on Secaucus streets.

More pressingly, they are a very real fire hazard, he said.

There are many, perhaps hundreds, of "under the radar" illegal units in Secaucus. Many property owners in town find they can capitalize off Secaucus' proximity to New York City.

The next step is the hiring of a zoning officer, said Gonnelli. That person has not been hired yet and there will be a public discussion at the next Council meeting June 26 on the issue. Landlords caught with illegal units face fines ranging from $500-$2,000 per day, and even jail time. They would also have to pay their tenants' relocating fees.

When asked by Patch, Councilman Dehnert did not reply when asked why he abstained from adopting the ordinance.

Photo by Carly Baldwin/Secaucus Patch