THOMAS POWERS v. TOWNSHIP OF MAHWAH
Annotate this CaseNOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT THE
APPROVAL OF THE APPELLATE DIVISION
This opinion shall not "constitute precedent or be binding upon any court ." Although it is posted on the
internet, this opinion is binding only on the parties in the case and its use in other cases is limited. R. 1:36-3.
SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY
APPELLATE DIVISION
DOCKET NO. A-2302-19
THOMAS POWERS,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
TOWNSHIP OF MAHWAH,
MAYOR JOHN ROTH, and
TOWNSHIP COUNCIL
MEMBERS,
Defendants-Respondents,
and
THE RAMAPOUGH MOUNTAIN
INDIANS, INC.,
Nominal Defendant-
Respondent.
______________________________
Argued December 14, 2021 – Decided March 16, 2022
Before Judges Rothstadt and Natali.
On appeal from the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law
Division, Bergen County, Docket No. L-6223-19.
Thomas Powers, appellant, argued the cause pro se.
Ruby Kumar-Thompson argued the cause for
respondents Township of Mahwah, Mayor John Roth,
and Township Council Members (Cleary Giacobbe
Alfieri Jacobs, LLC, attorneys; Brian M. Chewcaskie,
of counsel; Ruby Kumar-Thompson, on the brief).
Brittany M. Thomas argued the cause for respondent
The Ramapough Mountain Indians, Inc. (Center for
Constitutional Rights and Cohen Green, PLLC,
attorneys; Brittany M. Thomas and J. Remy Green, on
the brief).
PER CURIAM
This appeal arises from the latest dispute over activities conducted by
nominal defendant, the Ramapough Mountain Indians, Inc. (RMI) on property
it owns adjacent to the Ramapo Hunt & Polo Club Association (RHPC)
residential development where plaintiff Thomas Powers owns a home, all
situated within defendant Township of Mahwah. After years of litigation, in
2019, Mahwah and the RMI entered into a settlement of their dispute (the 2019
settlement agreement). The RHPC proceeded to a bench trial against the RMI,
and after presenting its proofs, the trial judge dismissed its complaint. Shortly
thereafter, plaintiff filed this action in lieu of prerogative writs, alleging that
Mahwah executed the settlement with the RMI without authority, while
circumventing land use procedures and ignoring safety concerns. He also
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2
alleged that RMI's use of RHPC's bridge and roads to access its property was a
taking of plaintiff's property.
In this appeal, plaintiff challenges the Law Division's January 24, 2020
dismissal of his complaint under Rule 4:6-2, for failure to state a claim upon
which relief could be granted that was entered after the motion judge
determined, among other things, plaintiff's claims were barred by res judicata
and collateral estoppel. Plaintiff also appeals from the motion judge's denial of
his request for the judge to recuse himself.
We have carefully considered plaintiff's contentions in light of the record
and the applicable principles of law. For the reasons that follow, we affirm.
I.
The facts derived from the motion record are summarized as follows. The
driveway to plaintiff's home, within the RHPC community, is directly across the
street from RMI's driveway. The only way to access RHPC's property is by
crossing a bridge over the Ramapo River and using a road that traverses through
its development; RMI's property is accessed by crossing the same bridge and
roads.
A-2302-19
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As a resident of the RHPC community, plaintiff is a member of the RHPC
homeowners' association (HOA), which owns the roads and bridge within the
community as common areas. Plaintiff is also a former president of the HOA.
Going back almost ten years, the HOA and Mahwah were embroiled in
litigation with RMI over its use of its undeveloped property for gatherings,
religious and otherwise, and its impact on the RHPC community. In a related
matter, we recently described the origins of their dispute as follows:
[O]n May 9, 2017, . . . Mahwah . . . filed a
complaint against RMI to enjoin violations of the
Township's zoning ordinance pursuant to N.J.S.A.
40:55D-18 because RMI appeared to be erecting
buildings or other prohibited structures.
Four months later, plaintiff [the RHPC] . . . filed
a verified complaint and order to show cause seeking
temporary restraints against RMI and the Township,
alleging RMI was engaging in various activities, uses,
or actions . . . in violation of the Township zoning
ordinances and seeking an injunction for compliance of
the zoning ordinances. Specifically, "the main uses that
the [[RHPC] was] complaining about . . . [were] public
assembly, religious use and house of worship camping
and campgrounds, that w[ere] not permitted." The
[RHPC] and Township's lawsuits were eventually
consolidated.
An order to show cause was denied on December
15, 2017, after RMI rectified certain zoning violations
in response to the lawsuits. Nevertheless, the case
continued to move forward on the underlying
complaint. The Township settled with RMI just before
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trial; however, the [RHPC] declined to join in the
settlement. Thus, the court conducted a bench trial
from April 1 to May 3, 2019, to address the [RHPC's]
complaint. After the [RHPC] presented its case in
chief, the trial court granted RMI's motion for a directed
verdict. . . .
[Ramapo Hunt & Polo Club Ass'n v. Ramapough
Mountain Indians, No. A-5711-18, (App. Div. Jan. 12,
2021) (slip op. at 2-3 (sixth and seventh alteration in
original).]
The 2019 settlement agreement between Mahwah and RMI resolved
several ongoing issues. 1 For example, it stated that RMI's "prayer circle and
altar on the Property may remain . . . subject to the conditions of this Agreement.
No other structures shall be permitted on the Property without approval or a
permit issued by the Township land use board, if required, except as otherwise
set forth in this Agreement." The agreement also allowed "RMI [to] use the
property for place of assembly, including cultural and religious gatherings, and
for uses consistent with the Township's zoning ordinances applicable to the
C200 zone." And, it addressed parking and other issues based on the number of
1
Township's council approved the settlement at a meeting held on May 9, 2019,
after considering public comment and deliberating in closed session. The
settlement was memorialized in a resolution. Plaintiff and other members of the
HOA attended the meeting. The settlement also resolved a federal action filed
by RMI against Mahwah under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized
Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000cc to -5.
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people that RMI anticipated would attend events on the RMI property. It also
permitted the RMI to install a driveaway, and it addressed future land use,
instructing that "RMI comply with all other applicable laws and ordinances,
including but not limited to laws and regulations concerning noise, watershed
protection, flood hazards, and fire hazards."
Pertinent to this appeal, the 2019 settlement agreement specifically
resolved Mahwah's claims about safety and health concerns arising from traffic
issues associated with the RMI's use of the bridge and roads through RHPC's
property. It also disposed of Mahwah's claims that RMI's use of the bridge and
roads was a nuisance or otherwise interfered with the RHPC community
members' property rights. And, significantly, it committed the RMI to using its
property consistent with all laws.
Although its action against RMI had been consolidated with Mahwah's
action, RHPC did not join in the settlement, so it proceeded to a bench trial on
its complaint. The complaint included detailed allegations about RMI's use of
its property, its adverse impact on the RHPC community, including its bridge,
roadways, and trespassing by RMI members on individual owners' driveways
and other portions of their properties. In particular, similar to plaintiff's
complaint here, RHPC alleged that RMI's land uses (e.g., erection of building,
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public assembly, and religious gatherings) violated zoning and municipal
ordinances; and that RMI's activities (erection of structures, religious
gatherings, trespassing on individual owners' driveways, and cooking
implements) posed a health and safety issues because the property's location
within the floodplain of the Ramapo River and the location of the property's
driveway.
RHPC's complaint was dismissed after the bench trial before the same
motion judge who later dismissed plaintiff's complaint in the present action. In
dismissing RHPC's complaint, the judge concluded as follows:
There [was] no showing that [the Township is] not
enforcing the law as of today and, as such, being that
there is no current violation, or one even being
contemplated, [t]he [c]ourt is devoid of any evidence
and finds that plaintiff[] ha[s] failed to show a prima
facie case to give a restraint as a matter of law against
the defendant[] and, as such, the application is denied
and the case is dismissed that is presently before this
court, and the other case that was consolidated with this
has been dismissed as settled.
The RHPC did not appeal from the dismissal of its action. A few months
later, however, plaintiff filed this action on August 16, 2019, challenging the
settlement between Mahwah and RMI and requesting injunctive relief.
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In the original complaint, plaintiff alleged that the 2019 settlement
agreement violated zoning and municipal ordinances, land use and site plan
procedures, and constituted illegal contract and spot zoning. He also alleged a
violation of Chapter 27 of Mahwah's municipal code's floodway regulations, and
that the 2019 settlement agreement impermissibly allowed RMI to build a
parking lot, and acknowledged its use of RHPC's bridges and roads, contrary to
past resolutions that expressed their lack of jurisdiction to consider or determine
the right of a new lot owner to utilize RHPC's bridge. In the second count,
plaintiff also challenged Mahwah's permitting RMI's use of an existing
driveway. The complaint concluded by requesting that Mahwah be compelled
to cancel the 2019 settlement agreement, rescind its confirming resolution, and
move RMI's driveway.
In his amended complaint filed on September 6, 2019, plaintiff alleged
facts and made claims about violations of his due process and equal protection
rights as a neighboring property owner. Plaintiff argued against RMI's use of
the property, uses which Mahwah acknowledged in the 2019 settlement
agreement, and added a third count about safety concerns regarding RMI's
driveway. He specifically alleged, that "[p]ublic [a]ssembly and religious
gatherings are not permitted uses or conditionally permitted uses in the
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Conservation Zone, pursuant to Section 24-4.1 of the Municipal Code of the
Township." In lieu of filing an answer, Mahwah and RMI filed motions to
dismiss plaintiff's amended complaint, and plaintiff filed opposition to both.
Prior to filing its motion, on September 20, 2019, Mahwah requested that
the matter be assigned to the motion judge because of his familiarity with the
earlier actions. In a January 7, 2020, plaintiff requested that the case be
reassigned to the original judge who managed the matter before the motion judge
became involved. In response, the civil presiding judge informed plaintiff that
the motion judge must hear plaintiff's request.
On January 24, 2020, plaintiff filed a motion for the motion judge to
recuse himself and asked for an adjournment of the motions to dismiss scheduled
for that day to allow time for the motion for recusal. Before hearing the motion
to dismiss, the motion judge declined to recuse himself, relying upon Rule 1:12-
1 and finding there were no facts to support his recusal under the rule.
As to the motion to dismiss, after considering the parties' oral arguments,
the motion judge granted the motions, setting forth his reasons in an oral
decision placed on the record that day. In his decision, the judge stated the
following:
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The plaintiff . . . , a resident of [RHPC] seeks to
nullify the settlement agreement that was approved by
the Township of Mahwah Council on May 9[], 2019.
The [c]ourt finds the settlement agreement valid
and not subject to any legally valid challenges by the
plaintiff. Specifically, claims by the plaintiff that his
individual constitutional rights to procedural due
process were violated by the agreement are totally
specious.
Powers did not suffer any special injury, as his
land is not an adjoining property involved in the
settlement, and he was not deprived of any ownership
rights to his property.
Plaintiff also fails to identify how the process for
approving the settlement was constitutionally or legally
improper.
Finally, the plaintiff also seeks to re-litigate the
decision after trial of the remaining case that followed
the settlement of the Township of Mahwah [v.]
Ramapough Mountain Indians. That case was entitled
Ramapough Hunt and Polo Club Association [v.]
Ramapough Mountain Indians. That had been earlier
consolidated with the Township case.
[Plaintiff] was represented on these same claims
as a member of that association. Plaintiff is, therefore,
estopped from raising these previously adjudicated
claims.
Those claims were tried to a conclusion . . . and
this [c]ourt gave a decision after trial . . . that is
contained on the record which transcript has been
submitted by the movants.
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Here, plaintiff . . . is a member of the [RHPC]
and, thus, had interests that were common with it. A
non-profit [HOA] . . . can bind its members in litigation
that is brought on their behalf in an earlier action. See
Allen [v. V and] A [Bros.,] Inc., 208 N.J. 114[,] 139
(2011).
The issues that were raised and adjudicated at
trial include the very same issues with the settlement
and the adjudication after trial that plaintiff . . . once
again raises under the rubric of a prerogative writ.
Such collateral estoppel and res judicata applies
to bar re-litigation of these adjudicated matters in any
nuance subsequent action being filed by a disgruntled
[RHPC] member.
This appeal followed, in which plaintiff contends that the motion judge
erred by concluding collateral estoppel and res judicata barred his action; in
finding that plaintiff's property did not adjoin RMI's property; and by not finding
that his pleading set forth a claim that Mahwah's entering into the settlement
with the RMI was arbitrary, capricious or unreasonable because it ignored
legitimate safety concerns, constituted impermissible spot and contract zoning,
was not authorized by state land use laws, and was contrary to Mahwah's flood
damage prevention ordinance. He also contends that his complaint was timely,
and the motion judge should have recused himself. We disagree.
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II.
We begin our review by disposing of plaintiff's contentions on appeal
about the timeliness of his complaint, and the motion judge's decision to not
grant plaintiff's recusal motion. As to the timelines issue, the motion judge
never addressed it, and therefore he did not make any ruling about that issue,
leaving us simply with nothing to review.2
As to the recusal motion, under Rule 1:12-2, parties must submit motions
for disqualification "directly to the judge presiding over the case." State v.
McCabe, 201 N.J. 34, 45 (2010). "[R]ecusal motions are 'entrusted to the sound
discretion of the judge and are subject to review for abuse of discretion.'"
Goldfarb v. Solimine, 460 N.J. Super. 22, 30 (App. Div. 2019) (quoting
McCabe, 201 N.J. at 45), aff'd, 245 N.J. 236 (2021)). We conduct a de novo
review only as to whether the motion judge applied the proper legal standard.
McCabe, 201 N.J. at 45.
2
As Mahwah argues to us, plaintiff's appeal focused on whether Mahwah's
actions were arbitrary and capricious, without presenting any arguments about
the violation of his equal protection or due process rights under the Fourteenth
Amendment. For that reason, we deem the argument to have been waived.
Skolodowsky v. Lushis, 417 N.J. Super. 648, 657 (App. Div. 2011) ("An issue
not briefed on appeal is deemed waived.").
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The test for recusal is whether "a reasonable, fully informed person have
doubts about the judge's impartiality[.]" DeNike v. Cupo, 196 N.J. 502, 517
(2008). Appearance of and actual fairness are essential, but whether upholding
these necessitates disqualification generally requires a case-by-case analysis.
See McCabe, 201 N.J. at 45-46. Further, in deciding a recusal motion, a judge
must be mindful that his or her "duty to sit where appropriate is as strong as the
duty to disqualify oneself where sitting is inappropriate." Goldfarb, 460 N.J.
Super. at 31. "It is improper for a judge to withdraw from a case upon a mere
suggestion that he is disqualified 'unless the alleged cause of recusal is known
by him to exist or is shown to be true in fact.'" Panitch v. Panitch, 339 N.J.
Super. 63, 66-67 (App. Div. 2001) (quoting Hundred E. Credit Corp. v. Eric
Schuster Corp., 212 N.J. Super. 350, 358 (App. Div. 1986)).
Applying these guidelines, we conclude the motion judge did not abuse
his discretion in denying plaintiff's motion for his recusal. Here, plaintiff never
alleged any specific facts that suggested the motion judge would act or appear
to act with bias. The only reason he raised the request for recusal was stated in
his January 13, 2020 letter request, where he argued the following conclusions
without reference to any specific supporting facts:
Your Honor presided over [RHPC's case] and the
settlement discussions, there were at least three
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misrepresentations and facts suppressed during the
settlement discussions and other discussions, which
could potentially make you a witness in my case.
Because of this it should not be possible for you to
preside over my case.
At the January 24th hearing, plaintiff again only argued that "[b]ecause
there were . . . facts suppressed and misrepresentations in that matter, which I
think could possibly alter how this case, my case, is viewed . . . ." Plaintiff did
not maintain his earlier assertion that the judge would be a witness. Plaintiff
never identified the "at least three misrepresentations and facts suppressed" he
believed required the judge's recusal.
In denying the application, the motion judge reviewed the record and Rule
1:2-1, and stated that none of the factors were applicable. Even though the judge
had prior knowledge about the parties' dispute, there was no identifiable reason
why anyone would believe he would be a witness in this case. His knowledge
about the case gleaned from his presiding over the RHPC complaint against RMI
did not give rise to a conflict that warranted recusal. We have no reason to
disturb the judge's ruling in this regard.
III.
We turn then to plaintiff's appeal from the dismissal of his complaint
under Rule 4:6-2(e). "We review a grant of a motion to dismiss a complaint for
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failure to state a cause of action de novo, applying the same standard under Rule
4:6-2(e) that governed the motion court." Wreden v. Twp. of Lafayette, 436 N.J. Super. 117, 124 (App. Div. 2014). In our review, we afford no deference
to a trial court's Rule 4:6-2(e) motion decision. See Rezem Fam. Assocs., LP v.
Borough of Millstone, 423 N.J. Super. 103, 114 (App. Div. 2011).
Under the rule, a complaint can be dismissed if the facts alleged in the
complaint do not state a viable claim as a matter of law. Id. at 113-14. The
standard for determining the adequacy of plaintiff's pleadings is, after a
"generous" review of its contents, "whether a cause of action is 'suggested' by
the facts." Green v. Morgan Props., 215 N.J. 431, 451-52 (2013) (quoting
Printing Mart-Morristown v. Sharp Elecs. Corp., 116 N.J. 739, 746 (1989)). "In
evaluating motions to dismiss, courts consider 'allegations in the complaint,
exhibits attached to the complaint, matters of public record, and documents that
form the basis of a claim.'" Banco Popular N. Am. v. Gandi, 184 N.J. 161, 183
(2005) (quoting Hing Q. Lum v. Bank of Am., 361 F.3d 217, 222 n.3 (3d Cir.
2004)). Consideration of documents specifically referenced in the complaint
will not convert the motion into a motion for summary judgment. E. Dickerson
& Son v. Ernst & Young, LLP, 361 N.J. Super. 362, 365 n.1 (App. Div. 2003),
aff'd 179 N.J. 500 (2004).
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Where the parties submit material outside the pleadings that are
considered by the court, the motion effectively becomes a motion for summary
judgment. See R. 4:6-2; R. 4:46. The standard for summary judgment is whether
the moving parties have established that there are no genuine disputes as to any
material facts, and, if so, whether the facts, viewed in the light most favorable
to the non-moving party, entitles the moving parties to judgment as a matter of
law. R. 4:46-2(c); Davis v. Brickman Landscaping, Ltd., 219 N.J. 395, 406
(2014); Brill v. Guardian Life Ins. Co. of Am., 142 N.J. 520, 540 (1995).
Where such additional materials are not resubmitted and relied upon, a
court assess only the legal sufficiency of the claim. Sickles v. Cabot Corp., 379 N.J. Super. 100, 106 (App. Div. 2005). Consequently, "[a]t this preliminary
stage of the litigation [courts are] not concerned with the ability of plaintiffs to
prove the allegation contained in the complaint." Printing Mart, 116 N.J. at 746.
Rather, they should accept the factual allegations as true, Sickles, 379 N.J.
Super. at 106, and "search[] the complaint in depth and with liberality to
ascertain whether the fundament of a cause of action may be gleaned even from
an obscure statement of claim . . . ." Printing Mart, 116 N.J. at 746 (citation
omitted).
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"However, we have also cautioned that legal sufficiency requires
allegation of all the facts that the cause of action requires." Cornett v. Johnson
& Johnson, 414 N.J. Super. 365, 385 (App. Div. 2010), aff'd as modified, 211 N.J. 362 (2012), abrogated on other grounds by McCarrell v. Hoffmann-La
Roche, Inc., 227 N.J. 569, 592 (2017). In the absence of such allegations, the
claim must be dismissed. Ibid. (citing Sickles, 379 N.J. Super. at 106).
Generally, when courts dismiss for failure to state a claim, they dismiss without
prejudice. Smith v. SBC Commc'ns Inc., 178 N.J. 265, 282 (2004). But a court
may dismiss with prejudice under some circumstances, including when
"plaintiffs have not offered either a certification or a proposed amended pleading
that would suggest their ability to cure the defects" in their complaint, Johnson
v. Glassman, 401 N.J. Super. 222, 246 (App. Div. 2008), or the opportunity to
cure "would be a 'futile' and 'useless endeavor,'" Cona v. Twp. of Washington,
456 N.J. Super. 197, 214 (App. Div. 2018).
Here, the motion judge dismissed plaintiff's complaint with prejudice,
essentially stating two reasons: collateral estoppel and res judicata barred his
claims that were addressed in the action between Mahwah, RHPC and RMI, and
his complaint failed to assert any factual basis for concluding that Mahwah acted
improperly in settling its dispute with RMI. We address each in turn.
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A.
The application of res judicata and collateral estoppel raise questions of
law. Selective Ins. Co. v. McAllister, 327 N.J. Super. 168, 173 (App. Div.
2000). As such, we review a trial judge's determination de novo. Manalapan
Realty, L.P. v. Twp. Comm. of Manalapan, 104 N.J. 366, 378 (1995).
"Res judicata prevents a party from relitigating for a second time a claim
already determined between the same parties." In re Vicinage 13 of the N.J.
Superior Ct., 454 N.J. Super. 330, 341 (App. Div. 2018). It applies when a
particular controversy has been fully and fairly adjudicated, which bars further
litigation. McAllister, 327 N.J. Super. at 172-73 (App. Div. 2000). See also In
re Est. of Gabrellian, 372 N.J. Super. 432, 447 (App. Div. 2004) ("It is well
established that 'a judgment of involuntary dismissal or a dismissal with
prejudice [entered after a settlement] constitutes adjudication on the merits as
fully and completely as if the order had been entered after trial.'" (quoting
Velasquez v. Franz, 123 N.J. 498, 507 (1991))).
In assessing whether the doctrine applies, courts
consider five factors:
(1) the issue to be precluded is identical to
the issue decided in the prior proceeding;
(2) the issue was actually litigated in the
prior proceeding; (3) the court in the prior
proceeding issued a final judgment on the
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merits; (4) the determination of the issue
was essential to the prior judgment; and (5)
the party against whom the doctrine is
asserted was a party to or in privity with a
party to the earlier proceeding.
However, "even where these requirements are met, the
doctrine, which has its roots in equity, will not be
applied when it is unfair to do so."
[Vicinage 13, 454 N.J. Super. at 341
(quoting N.J. Div. of Youth & Fam. Servs.
v. R.D., 207 N.J. 88, 115 (2011) and
Olivieri v. Y.M.F. Carpet, 186 N.J. 511,
521 (2006)).]
The doctrine of collateral estoppel (or "issue preclusion") is "that branch
of the broader law of res judicata, which bars re-litigation of any issue which
was actually determined in a prior action, generally between the same parties,
involving a different claim or cause of action." Vicinage 13, 454 N.J. Super. at
341 (quoting State v. Gonzalez, 75 N.J. 181, 186 (1977)); see also In re
Liquidation of Integrity Ins. Co., 214 N.J. 51, 66 (2013). In determining whether
collateral estoppel applies, a court considers the same factors as it applies to a
determination about res judicata. Pace v. Kuchinsky, 347 N.J. Super. 202, 215
(App. Div. 2002). Like res judicata, courts should not apply collateral estoppel
"when it is unfair to do so," even if a party shows all five requirements. Ibid.
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Courts favor issue preclusion to conserve resources and prevent
harassment and inconsistency. Id. at 216 (citing McAllister, 327 N.J. Super. at
173). Courts disfavor preclusion when
the party . . . could not have obtained review of the
prior judgment; [differences in] the quality or extent of
the procedures . . . ; it was not foreseeable . . . that the
issue would arise in subsequent litigation; and the . . .
party did not have an adequate opportunity to obtain a
full and fair adjudication in the prior action.
[Ibid.]
Issue preclusion will apply if a representative of party in the earlier
litigation had an "adequate opportunity" to pursue the claims asserted by the
party in the second action. When a party is a virtual representative of a non -
party, they are in privity, and courts apply collateral estoppel to bar the non-
party's subsequent litigation. See Allen 208 N.J. at 139.
Under these parameters, we conclude that the motion judge correctly
determined that plaintiff's claims should be dismissed with prejudice as th ey
replicated the claims tried to conclusion by RHPC. Those issues included
assertions by RHPC that RMI violated various ordinances and land use laws and
created a nuisance on their property.
Plaintiff's claims were also properly barred because they only sought to
relitigate issues that were resolved by the 2019 settlement agreement, to the
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extent his complaint resurrected claims asserted by Mahwah in the prior action,
and those tried to conclusion in RHPC's action because he was a member of that
association. As such, plaintiff was bound by the results.
For example, plaintiff contended that allowing RMI to use the bridge and
roads through RHPC's property was a taking of private property, but that
property belonged to the RHPC and not plaintiff, and its complaint seeking to
enjoin the same use had been dismissed. See Siller v. Hartz Mountain Assocs.,
93 N.J. 370, 383 (1983) (explaining that where claims against condominium
developer were confined to common areas and facilities, the owners' association
had exclusive standing to maintain action against developer). Similarly,
plaintiff argued that the RMI's driveway allowed under the 2019 settlement
agreement was illegal and posed a safety and health concern, as did the RHPC
in its earlier 3 action.
Also, one of the results of the earlier trial was that the judge found that
there was no "violations of law currently occurring" as a result of the RMI's
actions, which he viewed as being no different than a resident having a party at
their home. He also found that under the 2019 settlement agreement, "The RMI
3
In his appellate brief, plaintiff advises that the HOA is pursuing its own claim
challenging the 2019 settlement agreement in federal court.
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has settled and agreed upon the lawful use of the property [and t]here is no
showing that Mahwah's not enforcing the law as of today." Therefore, to the
extent plaintiff in this action contends that the agreement permitted the RMI to
act outside of ordinances or otherwise, he is bound by the determination made
in the action between RHPC and RMI.
Plaintiff's claims about the legality of the settlement reached between
Mahwah and RMI were clearly not the subject of the action between RHPC and
RMI, nor was RHPC or plaintiff a party to that settlement. Those claims were
not barred by either res judicata or collateral estoppel.
B.
We turn our attention therefore to the dismissal of plaintiff's action
challenging Mahwah's entry into the 2019 settlement agreement with RMI. As
already noted, the motion judge concluded that plaintiff's claims that his
constitutional rights were violated were "totally specious," that plaintiff did not
suffer "any special injury 4 as" his property did not "adjoin[ the] property
4
"[A]n individual who sustains special damages over and above that suffered
by the general public," may have a public nuisance cause of action after a
consideration of the facts by the trial court determines that a governing body
"has not fairly and adequately considered and protected the rights and peculiar
interests . . . in their representative capacities in [a] settlement." Howell Twp.
v. Waste Disposal, Inc., 207 N.J. Super. 80, 95, 98-99 (App. Div. 1986) (citing
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involved in the settlement," and plaintiff "fail[ed] to identify how the process
for approving the settlement was constitutionally or legally improper." We
agree.
At the outset, we note that contrary to plaintiff's contention, there is no
evidence that the Mahwah's resolution to approve the 2019 settlement agreement
violated the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA), N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 to -21.
Mahwah approved the settlement after properly conducting a public Whispering
Woods hearing. Whispering Woods at Bamm Hollow v. Twp. of Middletown
Plan. Bd., 220 N.J. Super. 161, 172-73 (Law Div. 1987). "The procedures
employed in Whispering Woods have since been approved in other land use
cases." Friends of Peapack-Gladstone v. Borough of Peapack-Gladstone Land
Use Bd., 407 N.J. Super. 404, 423 (App. Div. 2009) (citations omitted).
Whispering Woods requires that a settlement agreement be "subject to public
Mayor & Council of Borough of Alpine v. Brewster, 7 N.J. 42, 52 (1951)); see
also In re Lead Paint Litig., 191 N.J. 405, 426-29 (collecting cases). Here, the
closest claim of special damages relates to the RMI's use of its driveway across
from plaintiff's. However, the 2019 settlement agreement and the RHPC's
complaints addressed the RMI's use of its driveway and its impact on adjoining
homeowners. Any failure to comply with the agreement would require a
municipal action for enforcement. Plaintiff has not suffered any special damage
and therefore has no individual claim to maintain.
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presentation, a public hearing thereon and a public vote." Whispering Woods,
220 N.J. Super. at 172.
Moreover, we observe that municipalities not only have the authority to
settle cases, assuming they act without fraud and in good faith, but such
settlements are encouraged as a matter of public policy. See DEG, LLC v. Twp.
of Fairfield, 198 N.J. 242, 259 (2009) ("Settlements also save parties litigation
expenses and facilitate the administration of the courts by conserving judicial
resources. Those benefits should be as available to public entities as they are to
private parties." (internal citation omitted)). As already noted, the earlier
litigation ended with a determination there was no proof of any violations of
law, as plaintiff contended in his complaint in this action. Beyond those
allegations, plaintiff's complaint merely asserted legal conclusions based on
plaintiff's view of the law, without, as the motion judge found, a shred of factual
support. Under these circumstances, we have no cause to disturb the dismissal
of plaintiff's action with prejudice.
Affirmed.
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