Area of Practice: Representation Before Local Boards

Municipalities in New Jersey are governed by a maze or of state and local law and regulations that often confound citizens that have resided in local communities for decades.  Often local laws change, or their interpretation and application are impacted by judicial rulings, thereby impacting the rights of individuals, companies and organizations that come before local boards.  Such matters range from a bar owner disputing a prosecution for revocation of a liquor license, to a community group appearing before a local historic preservation board to ensure development does not destroy the historic character and continuity of a community, to a landlord requesting a vacancy decontrol increase before a local rent control board, to the parents of a school child concerned about the allocation of education resources in a town’s school budget, to a community group challenging a developer’s application for a height and density variance.  One may say that the lions share of decisions about the fabric of a community in New Jersey are governed by local government law the decisions of local boards.

The members of local boards in municipalities are typically appointed by the mayor of the municipality, and usually include or consist entirely of ordinary citizens.  In some instances, board members are elected by the general public.  In most cases, board members have experience or involvement in the subject matter to which a board’s authorities are delegated. 

Individuals, community groups, and companies that come before local boards are most often represented by attorneys with specialized knowledge in the area of local government law.  The Law Offices of Ravinder S. Bhalla provides representation to such individuals confronted with challenges in the area of local government law.  The Firm has also appeared before a variety of local boards in many areas, including:

• successful pro bono representation to families in Hoboken public housing subjected to eviction proceedings under the New Jersey’s “one-strike” law;
  
  
• representation of bar and restaurant owners in matters involving New Jersey’s Alchohol and Beverage Control Act;
  
  
• successful representation and counseling of tenants and community groups in eviction proceedings and other matter involving collective tenant rights;
  
  
• successful representation of a church group and local community organization as an “objector” to a developer’s application for zoning variances before a local board of zoning and adjustment

The Law Offices of Bhalla & Cho, LLC also serves as special litigation counsel to the City of Hoboken’s Rent Leveling and Stabilization Board.