Neighbor a Nuisance? Council Empowers Police to Take Action

Have a neighbor who is a chronic nuissance?

The Montclair Police Chief will soon have the power to do something about it.

The township council introduced an ordinance Tuesday which will hold landlords and property owners accountable for persistent violations of criminal or disorderly activities, referred to as "nuisance activities" that take place on their properties.

According to the ordinance, the police chief can step in when there have been three incidents at the same address in a 12-month period. The landlord or property owner would be given a certain amount of time to correct the issues or face fines starting at $500.

A nuisance can be anything from noise violations to drug dealing, Township Attorney Ira Karasick said.

“If you have a building or property where there are repeated violations like that either of ordinances or statutes, then that building is declared a nuisance,” he said.

Without the ordinance, Township Manager Marc Dashield said police would have the power “to deal with the criminal offense only.”

A public hearing will be held on the ordinance on Tuesday, July 16.