BY SHERRY CONOHAN
Staff Writer
WEST LONG BRANCH — Landlords opposed to the borough’s new renter registration ordinance say they were acting on the advice of attorneys when they did not show up at a meeting to hear complaints about the measure.
James Apostolacus, who is suing the borough and council over the ordinance, and Mary Ann Acerra and Ben Cagliostro, two of about 20 landlords who are financially helping Apostolacus in his lawsuit, said Borough Attorney Gregory S. Baxter announced that anyone involved in the legal action could not attend the subcommittee meeting.
“We didn’t want it to look like we didn’t care,” Acerra stressed about their decision not to attend the meeting, which adjourned after about 40 minutes when no one had shown up to speak.
“We didn’t want people to think we skipped” the meeting, Apostolacus said.
“We don’t want people to think that we’re apathetic,” interjected Cagliostro.
In an interview, the trio expressed disappointment that the council didn’t act on complaints they leveled about the new law when it was in the process of being adopted in June and in meetings thereafter.
“They had all the time to consider our complaints,” Apostolacus said. “But they didn’t listen. We gave them the opportunity to work it out with us, but they didn’t want to. They had their minds made up.
“I would like to say to the taxpayers that we’re not looking to cost them money,” he added. “The mayor and council could settle if they wanted to.”
The major complaint of the landlords is the cost of registering the tenants of a unit — $250.
They also maintain the law isn’t necessary because everything it aims to address already is covered by existing laws.
“All of the laws on the books can stop what they’re complaining about,” Acerra said. “I think this is just a way to gouge people.”
“We don’t think it’s legal. We don’t think it’s warranted,” Apostolacus said of the new law.
The council adopted the ordinance to prevent situations created by tenants in rental housing who don’t maintain their homes and have noisy parties that disturb the neighbors.
While it doesn’t say so, it’s directed at students from Monmouth University who rent in town.
The council has said the borough doesn’t have a problem now — and it doesn’t want one.
“I think this ordinance is way out of line. I think it’s unconstitutional,” Acerra charged. “You can’t single out college kids, like you can’t say, ‘You can’t have Chinese.’ You can’t be prejudiced that way.”
Acerra also objected to the ordinance making landlords responsible for tenants if they make a lot of noise. She said she can’t be responsible for the actions of anybody but herself.
Landlords can go to jail for violations, she noted.
Cagliostro said other towns only charge $25 or $50 for a license or registration for renters.
“It’s a crazy amount,” he said of West Long Branch’s fee. “It’s going to hit me [hard] because I have five things to rent out.”
The three landlords said the hefty fee the borough is charging for registering renters was of particular concern now, as they have not received the increase in their tax bills yet for the $7.6 million addition and renovations project just getting under way at the borough’s two-school complex, and are awaiting to see what the council decides to do about dealing with mold at the police department.
The landlords see DeLisa and “mostly the mayor,” Paul Zambrano, as their best friends on the governing body at this time. But, they note, the mayor doesn’t have a vote.
Asked about the prospect of a compromise, Apostolacus said it’s up to the attorneys.
“If the borough attorney calls him [his attorney], he’s willing to talk,” he said.

