June 6, 2018
Robert B. Spawn reports on a recent unpublished decision from the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division.
A recent New Jersey case involved a plaintiff-pedestrian who sued a defendant-homeowner after the pedestrian's foot got caught on a raised portion of the sidewalk abutting the homeowner's property, which caused the pedestrian to fall and break her wrist.
At the trial level, the pedestrian stated that tree roots on the homeowner's property caused the elevation in the sidewalk, thus creating a defectively dangerous condition and subjecting the homeowners to liability. In response, the homeowners argued that the condition of the sidewalk had remained unchanged from the time they purchased their home until the date of the accident (a span of three years). (...)
May 31, 2018
On May 31, 2018, the Essex County Bar Association (ECBA) hosted its annual Judicial Law Clerk luncheon at the Veterans Courthouse in Newark. Michael J. Rankin co-chaired the event for the ECBA.
The event provided Law Clerks with the opportunity to network with members of the ECBA and to learn more about the next steps in their career upon the completion of their clerkship.
Barry A. Kozyra and Michael J. Rankin appeared as panelists for the event discussing, amongst other things, the interviewing process for obtaining a position as an associate in a law firm.
May 23, 2018
Ms. Romanova joined Kozyra & Hartz, LLC as an Associate in May 2018 and devotes her practice to family law. She handles a variety of matters involving marital dissolutions, spousal support, equitable distribution of property, post-marital disputes, child custody and support and domestic violence issues. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Romanova worked for a boutique matrimonial firm in Morristown and volunteered in the Family Unit of the Legal Services of Northwest Jersey.
She graduated from the University of Rochester (B.A., cum laude, 2003) and received her law degree from Rutgers Law School (J.D., 2011). While in law school, Ms. Romanova interned for the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Thereafter, she completed a clerkship with the Honorable Fred H.(...)
May 15, 2018
WILLIAM H. MONE reports on a recently published decision from the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division.
A New Jersey man appealed the denial of his child support modification motion for his two college-aged children, and the Appellate Division remanded the case back to the trial court for a plenary hearing as to the disputed residence of the children while not living on campus.
The father filed an application to eliminate his child support obligation for his two children enrolled in college. In doing so, he asserted that he was the children's parent of primary residence, as the children lived with him while not living on campus while at college. Both children submitted signed affidavits with the father's application, indicating that they were indeed living with him(...)
May 10, 2018
ROBERT B. SPAWN reports on a recent unpublished decision from the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division.
A recent New Jersey case involved a Plaintiff-Tenant who filed a complaint against a Defendant-Landlord for the return of her security deposit. The Landlord, a real estate company, had leased a commercial property to the Tenant in April 2016, but, after the Tenant experienced numerous break-ins due to an improperly secured window, she asked to terminate her lease early. The Landlord agreed, and the two parties executed a lease surrender agreement on September 30, 2016.
Under the lease surrender agreement, the Tenant released the Landlord from any liability or responsibilities under the original lease and forfeited any claims or damages she may have had against the(...)
