Victor A. Afanador, Susana Cruz Hodge,and Jeffrey A. Shooman of LDG's Municipal Practice Group won a number of important victories for two of the firm's municipal clients, the City of Newark and the City of Hoboken and its Rent Leveling Board. In Tumpson v. Farina, which Mr. Afanador argued, LDG succeeded in reversing a judgment that had been entered against Hoboken under the New Jersey Civil Rights Act. The Appellate Division ruled that there was no basis to find any such violation. In Heyert v. Taddese, the Appellate Division rejected the claims of landlords that the Hoboken rent leveling ordinance was unconstitutional, and that the Rent Leveling Board had violated the landlords' civil rights and had unconstitutionally taken the landlords' property. Mr. Afanador argued that appeal, and Ms. Cruz Hodge wrote the winning brief in that case. Most recently in Godley and Lamarr v. City of Newark, Mr. Afanador won at trial a case in which plaintiffs sought millions of dollars in damages against the City of Newark. LDG succeeded on the appeal in that case as well. Mr. Afanador argued the appeal and Ms. Cruz Hodge wrote the successful briefs.
LDG also won three cases for Hoboken at the trial level. In DeNardo v. Hoboken, a class action case argued by Mr. Afanador, the court ruled that Hoboken was entitled to qualified immunity that barred the lawsuit against it. In DeSena v. Hoboken, the judge rejected a tenant's claim that the City had improperly applied the tax surcharge provision of the rent leveling ordinance. Mr. Shooman briefed and argued that case. Finally, in Trivedi v. Hoboken, another case argued by Mr. Afanador, the court determined that the Board had faithfully applied the rent leveling ordinance, rejecting the plaintiff's claims to the contrary.
