Pabon, Rios​ and ​Iglesia demand justice for Perth Amboy tenants

Councilman Joel Pabon was and his two running mates requested the attendance of the city’s Rent Leveling Board chairman at the next City Council meeting, which is scheduled for October 12, 2022.

“With rents skyrocketing out of control in Perth Amboy, 35% over the past five years,
it’s our responsibility to get to the bottom of the problem. The winter months are just ahead of us and more and more residents will face homelessness unless something is done,” said Pabon.

A rent control ordinance has been in place in Perth Amboy since 1983 limiting annual
rent increases to 5 percent, unless significant capital expenditures have been made by the Landlord, in which case only the Rent Leveling Board may authorize an additional amount.

“In addition to the enforcement of the Rent Control provision of the ordinance, we need to know what is being done to inform residents of their rights as Tenants and Landlords of their limitations so that everyone is on the same page,” said Jeanette Rios.

A recent Superior Court decision filed on August 26, 2022 by Judge J. Randall Corman, strongly admonished a Perth Amboy landlord for what it referred to rent increases that “shocks the conscience” and dismissed a petition for a hardship rent increase without substantiation.

The multiple tenants named as plaintiff’s on the complaint were represented pro bono by local attorney Joseph B. Vas, who was a mayoral candidate in the 2020 local election.

“There has been a total breakdown and a failure to protect and inform the Tenants of our City of their rights. Case and point, my correspondence to the City on March 31, 2021, requesting this serious matter be remanded to the newly appointed Rent Control Board was never acted on,” said Vas. “It is the duty of the Rent Leveling Board to provide adequate tenant and landlord information. They are empowered with subpoena authority and can and should investigate the catastrophic financial hardship being placed on tenants unfairly throughout the city. The Rent Leveling Board cannot exist in name only.”

“We must protect tenants from landlords attempting to sidestep the ordinance by allowing apartments to remain vacant for 30 days and trigger decontrol. Only the Rent Leveling Board can authorize an increase beyond the restricted amount in the Rent Control Ordinance even in those instances,” said Board of Education member Junior Iglesia, a candidate for city council.

Pabon, Rios and Iglesia are requesting that the Rent Leveling Board make public a list of all registered landlords as provided by the ordinance.

Vas helped nearly 1,000 local homeowners reduce their property taxes and he is general counsel for the Perth Amboy Tenants Association.

Councilwoman Milady Tejeda, Perth Amboy Board of Education President Kenneth Puccio and Hailey Cruz, who have accepted campaign contributions from developers and other wealthy out-of-town organizations that want to keep the toothless approach to housing and rent increases, have assiduously avoided any discussion of the issues impacting tenants who rent their homes.

Perth Amboy residents recently turned out in force at a rally for administration officials to enforce rent control laws and to support a new ordinance that will limit annual rent increases to three percent.