Lakewood, NJ – A local landlord is accusing Lakewood's municipal court judge of misconduct and has filed a complaint with the Supreme Court of New Jersey's Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct.
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The complaint deals with Judge Philip Miller's actions in a case involving the Lakewood Landlords Association, which is a group of property managers challenging numerous summonses issued by township building inspectors.
Marcel Katz, a leader of the landlord group, says Miller overstepped his authority. "He went off on his own track, thinking he can do whatever he wants. We believe he will get a reprimand," Katz said.
Specifically, Katz said Miller was out of line when he ordered landlords to appear in court for summonses that a Superior Court judge already ordered to be postponed. Miller went on to issue bench warrants when defendants weren't in court for cases that weren't even scheduled to be heard, Katz said.
The township, as part of its crackdown on quality-of-life concerns in Lakewood, has issued numerous summonses in the past year. Landlords have been cited for overcrowding, failure to obtain certificates of occupancy and poor maintenance.
The landlords are suing the township over those ordinances, arguing that they are "unconstitutionally vague." Furthermore, the landlords say they are being held accountable for the actions of tenants who violate lease terms and township codes.
