Lakewood, NJ – Rabbanim Denouncing Improper Rentals

    62

    Lakewood, NJ – The issue of rental units in the midst of many prominent Lakewood neighborhoods that are rented to unlawful and nuisance-causing tenants has been on many people’s minds.

    Join our WhatsApp group

    Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email


    From the older areas to ones more recently populated by the frum community, residents have had to deal with homes that are owned by frum people who rent them out to individuals that ruin the quality of life and general equilibrium of the neighborhood. Aside from the obvious issues that affect the immediate neighborhood, such as loud music, general unsightliness, and sometimes unlawful behavior, more serious issues that affect the community at large abound, as well. Crimes committed by those who reside in such homes affect everybody throughout town. Indeed, the crime rate of Lakewood is higher than the national average.

    While the owners would never consider placing such tenants next door to their own homes, they don’t think twice before placing them next to someone else’s home.

    Rabbanim receive daily calls about these homes, with neighbors voicing their growing frustration at the intolerable situation, seeking to find out what they can demand. In response, the rashei yeshivos and rabbanim in town, together with Rav Dovid Feinstein and Rav Shlomo Miller, have issued a directive to these owners, apprising them of the appropriate course of action to take.

    The directive states as follows:

    “Many individuals have purchased homes in areas that over the years have been built up until the majority of the neighborhood has been converted to a Yiddishe shechunah. Yet these owners continue to rent out their units to unsavory individuals, and by doing so, cause damage and pain to the entire neighborhood in ways which need not be elaborated. Others have done worse, by purchasing units in areas that they know are quickly becoming an attractive location for b’nei Torah families or even in areas that have already been firmly established as such. These opportunistic latecomers are certainly the direct cause of damage and unjustified hardship for the entire neighborhood, both physically and spiritually.

    “In many situations it is halachically incumbent upon these owners to promptly remove their obstacle from the public. Even in cases where perhaps there isn’t a clear halachic enforceable mandate, nevertheless, ein ruach chachamim nocheh heimenu. Regarding situations such as these, the Gemara states that Yerushalayim was destroyed because people insisted on not going beyond the enforceable letter of the law.

    “Such people should fear placing themselves in the category of mazikei ha’rabim and should be wary of shouldering the awesome responsibility of such actions. It is well known that one who, G-d forbid, brings pain to others causes the midas ha’din to take hold. How can he remain indifferent in face of the pain he’s causing others? Even Yom Kippur won’t atone until he appeases the one who was wronged! Certainly among b’nei Torah there is an added element of chillul Hashem involved. It is clear that no blessings can rest upon ventures of this nature.

    “Therefore, anybody who owns such dwellings should promptly rid themselves of these investments, even in a situation involving a loss. In the interim, they are obligated to demand from their tenants to live up to neighborhood standards. Anyone with the ability to influence these owners in any way possible should do so and fulfill a mitzvah of zikui ha’rabim in this pressing matter. Certainly, one should seek to be counted amongst the mezakei ha’rabim rather than be amongst those who place fear and pain on the tzibur.


    Listen to the VINnews podcast on:

    iTunes | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Podbean | Amazon

    Follow VINnews for Breaking News Updates


    Connect with VINnews

    Join our WhatsApp group


    62 Comments
    Most Voted
    Newest Oldest
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    There should be a public list of these frum owners. Where they live, tel#’s, where they daven, etc. should also be on the list.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    If you think this will change even one landlord’s mind, you’re crazy.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Why can’t some landlords claim (maybe rightfully so) that they have owned these properties way before frum people moved into the ‘hood, or even dreamed of moving there. So because some frum people decided to move there afterwards, that’s their choice, gamble, and problem.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Are these Rabbis familiar with equal housing laws?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    tell hte rabbis to take the loss first

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    when these rabbis get a job and stop living off of us i would love to see them say the same thing. this is how these people make a living maybe the jews should rent these houses at market rate or they should never have moved in to these bad neighborhoods

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    2:34 The letter addresses your issue should the landlord have bought this way prior to the influx that although he may be right in Din and not enforceable by Bais Din it would still be advisable to adhere and not be the cause of hezek under the present situation.

    2:50- Has a general problem with Rabbis since he himself is the ultimate authority on right and wrong

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Sick. this is a violation of HUD laws.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    do these “rabbis” consider who then will actually support the kollel if the property owners who support the kollel cant make money in order to help support the yungerleit if they are only renting to yungerleit in the first place?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    If someone moved into an area that has people living there that are not to his liking, why is it fair to force the landlord to take a loss??????

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Forest & 4th has always (as loong as the Yeshiva has been there) been a good neighborhood.

    Rocklander
    Rocklander
    15 years ago

    It is absolutely amazing to see how the “Rabbanim” lately have taken upon themselves the right to take away peoples parnassa. First it was the shaitel store on Coney Island Avenue, then Lipa and Sheya Mendlowitz, and now this. I am not so sure that is “Daas Torah”. I dont really care how many of you idiots yell at me about my lack of respect for them.

    DinaDimalchusoDina
    DinaDimalchusoDina
    15 years ago

    First of all: Landlords must rent to anyone, its the law. Why don’t these “concerned citizens” buy the properties at “fair market” value???? Why should a person who worked hard and invested money loose out!?!?!?! Maybe these rabbonim can chip in?

    ryan
    ryan
    15 years ago

    Are these Rabbonim advocating discrimination in Housing in violation of Federal Housing laws?

    Boy that sounds smart!

    As long as no laws are broken, landlords must comply with all rules applicable to rental applicants.

    What should be formed is committees in various projects to fight any unlawful behavior in the properties.

    Let this Rabbonim stick to learning lest they open up Pandora’s box with their implied discriminatory recommendation to religious landlords. Disgraceful ! chilul Hashem!

    DinaDimalchusoDina
    DinaDimalchusoDina
    15 years ago

    Why don’t these “concerned citizens” buy the properties at “fair market” value???? Why should a person who worked hard and invested money loose out!?!?!?! Maybe these rabbonim can chip in?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    For those of you that hate rabbi,s, well…your not counted (see gemorah end of sanhedrin. yes we know you hate gemorah too).

    But for those of you that dont understand why people should take a loss, if they invested in the neighborhood before frum yidden moved in. It might be a good idea to actualy READ the letter. All your questons are answerd in it.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Will the rabbonim pay for all legal costs and fixes due to vandalism in trying to get these tenants (who are lawfully residing there) out?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    what’s the difference from who the section 8 payments come from? the frum or the goyim?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Does it always have to be about money? Those people that were attacked, first with the baseball bat, then the stabbing, came this close to dying, chas veshalom. Does that even bother you? All these “investors” are interested in is making a quick buck, and to hell with the neighborhood and the safety of the community. They do not want to put in a red cent to renovate these homes, since they can rent them as is to these criminals and get paid top dollar from Section 8.

    anon
    anon
    15 years ago

    the rabbonim are not asking anyone to break the law nor are they asking anyone to discriminate. all they asking is for the law to be upheld and as such it is expected that the landlords ensure that the tenants are legal citizens. and at the very least they should make sure that the apartments are not being rented to criminals

    gimme a break
    gimme a break
    15 years ago

    Give me a break the loosers who own these houses are mostly in hock a lot of them are on the receiving end of the tzedaka chain and they aren’t holding anybody out. Also there are no federal guidelines. protecting illegals, overcrowded dwellings and a landlord can deny a tenant based on a background or credit check which will no be up to par.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    its a sad day when rabbonim advocate possibly breaking laws

    Rocklander
    Rocklander
    15 years ago

    Anon 3:41, not to sound condescending, but you ask if its about money. Why else would they have purchased these properties? for their health?

    Yes, the violence is terrible, and we can ask them to try and get rid of the human garbage, but I don’t think its right to force them to sell. Perhaps BMG should buy it all up and do the dirty work…

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    anon, what if the tyere kollel bachur is rowdy or illegal? what about all the singing in the street for lchaims at 2am that disturb the peace?

    anon
    anon
    15 years ago

    Anon 315

    Forest and 4th was not always a good neighborhood until fairly recently the SE corner was full of vermin

    Sheesh.
    Sheesh.
    15 years ago

    If i were to sell now- I would incur about a $65,000 loss.

    Ask yourselves what YOU would do.(My tenants are legal with a CO and have not caused any harm to any surrounding neighbors).

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Have any of Yaffes tenants been convicted? Or is it plain old jealosy?

    moishe kapoyer
    moishe kapoyer
    15 years ago

    sheesh why not rent it out to a yid?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    they dont have to be convicted, we are talking about lowlife tenanats that blast music on shabbos and that do other things which I wont mention publicly, one is a known gang member and they are people that should be dropped in middle of a frum comunity by a frum Jew. Im not saying his tenants are skinheads or drugpins but yea take the $65,000 hit and sell and everyone should because one guy getting stabbed is worth more than your $65,000. If it was your father that was stabbed would you pay $100,000 so that it shouldnt happen? well thats how klal yisroel must feel for each other.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Please post comments respo Does it always have to be about money? Those people that were attacked, first with the baseball bat, then the stabbing, came this close to dying, chas veshalom. Does that even bother you? All these “investors” are interested in is making a quick buck, and to hell with the neighborhood and the safety of the community. They do not want to put in a red cent to renovate these homes, since they can rent them as is to these criminals and get paid top dollar from Section 8.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Moishe Kapoyer – Many times it is not possible to find Yiddishe tenants

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    I don’t have to take a $65,000 hit because you feel that way. how does someone dare telling another yid to take a $65,000 hit because youuuuuuu would like me to do it? I work for a living and you do the same.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Sheesh,

    What’s it going to take, for people to chas veshalom, get murdered? It almost happened at least twice. Do you want that on your cheshbon? How much is that worth to you? Instead of renting to the scum of the earth, fix the houses up a little and rent them to ehrliche yidden. There is still a strong demand for affordable housing and apartments in Lakewood. Even if you have to forego the monthly rental, or you have to sell prematurely, at least you will be doing what’s just and proper for the klal. Renting homes to criminals and endangering klal yisrael is inexcusable, even if it means forfeiting millions of dollars. It seems like when it comes to dollars and profits, common decency and morality have to take a back seat. So what if we destroy our neighborhoods and decent, hard working, yidden with families are mugged and left for dead? We need this Section 8 income! Totally despicable, all of you “investors”!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    lets wait till your parents come to town for shabbos and then get beaten by a thug with a baseball bat whos living smack in middle of lakewood in a jewish owned home and then you can ask me If I dare tell you to take the hit. And this Yaffe guy supporting yungerleit is laughable, its basically blood money being used to support learning chevra in Lakewood, Im sure that if they knew the source of the money that people in Coventry were afraid to walk out at night because of tenants that were paying this rent money they would and should think twice

    Simcha
    Simcha
    15 years ago

    If HUD gets wind of this they might just pull their section 8 vouchers from Lakewod b/c it is a violation of the fair housing act. What will the Rabbonim do then???

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    I live in brooklyn and my neibhors on both sides are African American. We get along and respect each other. lakewood and the world is sick and its just getting sicker and sicker. Get a life. Their were no tenants willing to pay the price they wanted and found goyim, big deal good for them. I myself own a home and rent out apartemnts next to me to non jews. As long as they behave and pay I dont Give a D****

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Rocklander Says:

    It is absolutely amazing to see how the “Rabbanim” lately have taken upon themselves the right to take away peoples parnassa. First it was the shaitel store on Coney Island Avenue, then Lipa and Sheya Mendlowitz, and now this

    ————————————————

    You’re comparing this to a sheitel store and a concert? This is mamash pikuach nefashos! Not to mention the degeneration of whole neighborhoods into violent ghettos. The rabbonim are 100% correct and this is surely “Daas Torah”. Our Torah is all about justice, morality and emes. It’s not about making an extra buck at the expense of klal yisroel.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    again time after time after time there are always these so-called ASKONIM that get involved that for some reason have to feel choshuv and get kuvud or else they feel like no one knows they are living so they come up with all these issues… you know what these same rabbonim should be calling out for all these “choshuve so-called MOLESTERS” thats not called causing pain for other yidden and the shidduch crisis these are REAL ISSUES not oy the water is not kosher, or the shaitels or the strawberries, or separate seatings on buses or in walmart please enough is enough…… and i dont want to hear then anymore yeshivas or organizations to come and beg the working ppl for money because if u take away our money then u dont deserve to get…… who else will be helping these batlonom in yeshiva go get a job

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    It is a issue of running a background check on the individuals renting those apartments, and a landlord has the right to refuse renting an apartmant if he doesn’t like something with the person’s credit or criminal history. yes it’s 100% legal.

    Boruch
    Boruch
    15 years ago

    Unless Lakewood, because it is a federal commonwealth and on the public dole, has changed federal law; a private home owner can rent to anyone he/she pleases and is not subject to HUD or any other agency. A sales agent has to be concerned with turning away people based on race, religion or other issues as he is licensed and regulated. So when the commonwealth of PuertoLakewood returns to it’s common sense about housing rentals and that it’s not against the law to rent or not to rent maybe they will come to their senses about to whom they rent. Bottom line it’s the money, folks.

    guy
    guy
    15 years ago

    If someone is violating the law and renting out an illegal apartment, HUD could care less and the the landlords who ignore the law will get no sympathy from me and Kol HaKoved to the Rabbis for helping the down trodden neighbors who suffer the abuse.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Anonymous  test:17,

    What does this have to do with “choshuve molesters”? The only criticism I have for the rabbonim is, what took you so long?

    shaya
    shaya
    15 years ago

    Its just the askanim using the landlords as a scapegoat to why there are so many problems in lkwd bussing, property taxes,crime etc.. most of the recent crimes commited in lkwd were from locals that are here for a while who own their homes or live in the projects.

    hashem yerachem
    hashem yerachem
    15 years ago

    anon 5:34

    i believe that anon 5:17

    has brought up a very touchy subject (no pun intended)but if ppl like u feel that the molestors arent more important issues than renting these apartments then we are all in deep water because anyone that has children or grandchildren know that OUR HEILEGE KIDS are the most important and precious things that hkb”h gave us and they are first before anything and if they arent safe and protected then there is no point on living so i believe as well that those are the real major issues that the rabbonnim should speak out and make it clear that anyone that is caught with this sick act should be locked up and no one should be defending them those are the ppl we should be naming and having all their information out in the public so we should all see and stay away from … but c”v the rabbonnim should speak about this subject bec its all a cover up and it can never happen to our so-called rabbeim or tutors or our presidents from the shul but ppl wake up it is happening and i am just speechless that ppl are not screaming about this …. where are all the rabbonnim on this issue

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    THE RABBONIM SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO WORK.THERE ARE TO MANY FRUM PEOPLE ON PROGRAMS.

    shtusim
    shtusim
    15 years ago

    DinaDimalchusoDina Says:

    First of all: Landlords must rent to anyone, its the law. Why don’t these “concerned citizens” buy the properties at “fair market” value???? Why should a person who worked hard and invested money loose out!?!?!?! Maybe these rabbonim can chip in?

    07-10-2008 – 3:21 PM

    ———————————————-

    Its actually against the law to rent to drug peddlers and to illegal alians .

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    If a landlord is taking in section 8 tenants, there is no credit check involved because the money comes from the government.

    If a landlord is taking in regular tenants, then legally he cannot discriminate based on ethnicity, but he can do a credit/criminal check. These, however, are not foolproof.

    teach
    teach
    15 years ago

    Many of these investments were bought by yeshivalite as a quick way to make money by either flipping them right away or holding them until the price went up. Unfortunately many of the houses couldn’t be flipped and the market crashed and many of these investors were forced to rent the apartments to the highest renters regardless of who they were. by now most of these houses are worthless because the chayos living in them have totally destroyed it and can only be sold at a huge loss.who exactly is going to listen to this ruling. not the askonim and choshiva yiden of Lakewood because many of them own these properties and will not be willing to lose a dime.Not the yugerlite who bought these houses for investments and use the rent money as their parnossah they can’t lose because they will have to stop learning and get a job.the ones who will listen will be the nebechels who borrowed money from all sides to buy some real estate and think by listening to this ruling they will get oilim habah even though they stand to lose thousands. just wondering if BMG themselves own any such properties um!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    to all of you bleed heart liberals who are concerned about renting equal rights you are out of your mind these houses are rented to illegals who have no rights and have way more people living in each house then is legal so get the facts before you start rabbi bashing and i pray that you get such fine drunk lowlife neighbors

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    OK, I a sure that the Rabbanim are correct and are responding to what was told to them by our once again concerned askanim. All people complaining that these property owners should take a hit, and lose upwards of 50000.00, i am sure are really sincere. Would all of you be willing to donate 5000.00 ea. to a fund that would be given to these owners so that they don’t have a loss? If it is Pikuach Nefesh, then you should Jump In with your 5000.00. I am sure that these owners would be willing to listen to you.