Jackson no-knock rules debated amid Lakewood boom

JACKSON – It’s a rule to keep solicitors off a Jackson doorstep. But at what point could it become an edict to keep the Jewish community bottled up in Lakewood?

Already approved in Toms River and up for debate in Jackson are enhanced “no-knock” ordinances, rules designed to protect homeowners from solicitors and canvassers — particularly real estate buyers — who won’t take no for an answer.

“My home is my castle and I don’t want someone stepping on my front doorstep, ringing my doorbell and trying to sell me something I don’t want,” Jackson Councilman Rob Nixon said on Monday. “This has been keeping our residents up at night.”

At its core, all parties agree with the written language of these “no-knock” ordinances, such as the one formally introduced by the Jackson council on Tuesday: No homeowner should be harassed by an interested buyer.

“We’re aware of what’s been going on here in Jackson, as well as Toms River,” said Bruce Shapiro, legal affairs coordinator for the New Jersey Association of Realtors on Tuesday. “It’s as much of a concern for us as it is for you as well as the residents. We’re in support of this ordinance.”

If someone knocked on Naomi Levecchia’s door until it became a disturbance, said she would call the police. But as executive director of the Ocean County Jewish Federation, she recognizes the thin line being toed by no-knock ordinances.

“Land is the highest commodity possible and Lakewood is the second-most expanding city in the state,” Levecchia said. “But if they’re trying to change real estate practices with the end goal of excluding the Lakewood Orthodox community, that’s as blatantly anti-Semitic as it gets.

“Whether they want to admit that or not isn’t my problem,” she said.

Booming real estate market

Some residents approached by real estate solicitors speculate that they’re hoping to flip the properties to members of the Orthodox Jewish community of Lakewood, which Holtz said has grown with families moving into the area from large Jewish communities in New York.

But according to a few residents, there’s a point at which a real estate agent — or private investor — passes the point of being proactive and becomes a bully.

“The problem is not only are they knocking at your doors, they’re pulling in the driveways and stopping in front of your house, blocking traffic and waving oncoming cars by,” Evergreen Court resident Brandy Jarmolowich told council members on Tuesday night. “My children go to check the mailbox and play in the street. It’s a real safety concern.”

Last month, resident Vitina Hamilton detailed her daily experience with solicitors -- who she identified as Orthodox Jewish men -- persistently pushing her to sell her Arizona Avenue property.

“They peruse the neighborhood three, four, five times per day,” Hamilton said. “It’s not just real estate agents. They say things to me, ‘At your age, what do you want this house for?’ I started out polite. I’m done being polite.”

The no-knock ordinance changes in Jackson and Toms River come as the booming Jewish community of Lakewood continues to expand, with 4,000 births each year. Real estate agents have latched onto the market shift, recognizing the border towns — such as Jackson and Lakewood — as a growth area.

“The Lakewood buyer wants to be in an area with the amenities a Jewish family requires — a synagogue, shopping, supermarkets with Kosher food,” Four Points Realty broker and principal David Holtz said. “You see that in Toms River and Jackson, especially the portion close to Lakewood proper.”

Holtz called the practices witnessed by Hamilton and others a “detriment to the whole profession.” Not only does it violate someone’s privacy, but becoming a “nuisance” only distances a real estate agent from landing a sale.

“We don’t believe in badgering. It’s counter-productive of people,” Holtz said. “We want to show that we have your best interest in mind. The best way to express that is to truly have your best interest in mind.”

More no-knock laws?

Before long, no-knock rules could become a growing trend along Lakewood border towns. The Jackson ordinance is modeled closely after a Toms River ordinance amended in June, requiring solicitors to register with the town and provide exact streets and dates when canvassing would take place.

Under the Jackson ordinance changes, anyone who violates the ordinance — including canvassing homes on the town’s no-knock registry — would be subject of fines up to $1,250 and 90 days in county jail. The amended ordinance describes what a solicitor can and cannot say to someone during a solicitation visit.

“You need some hammering here to ensure it’s not something someone would laugh at and say, ‘Big deal, I’ll pay the fine,’” Nixon said.

Toms River municipal clerk J. Mark Mutter said Tuesday that the complaints have continued at roughly the same pace since the ordinance went into effect in mid-June.

“We’ve received what I’d call generic complaints, not that the ordinance is being violated but that people are aggressively knocking on doors asking for their homes,” Mutter said.

Four Points Realty holds two canvassing permits from Toms River, allowing employees to solicit on 45 streets at or near the border.

About half of the company’s business comes from door-to-door solicitation, though Holtz said it has trended towards relying on word of mouth, especially in Jackson.

“Some people have said in the past that they’re trying to stop realtors from bringing in the Jewish community,” Holtz said. “I don’t believe that. We will follow whatever rules or ordinances are in place.”

Mike Davis: (732) 643-4223 mdavis@gannettnj.com

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