Tenant Advocates Appeal Decision to Overturn Election

Cheryl Fallick, a Hoboken resident who serves on the rent leveling board, has appealed a recent decision to overturn the outcome of last November's referendum about rent control.

New Jersey Superior Court Judge Christine Farrington ruled last month to overturn the decision on public question 2. She also ordered a new election.

While voters decided to uphold rent control on its current form in Hoboken — rather than changing to a vacancy decontrol system — the outcome was later contested. 

After all the vote by mail ballots were counted, rent control was upheld by less than 50 votes. A group of 15 voters — with the support of the Mile Square Tax Payers Association and lead by lawyer Charles Gormally — contested 92 ballots.

The rent control laws in Hoboken were changed two years ago, when the full council approved the new laws.

A "no" vote to the answer if Hoboken should switch to a model of vacancy decontrol — rather than rent control — prevailed on election night in November. After all the vote by mail ballots were counted, the answer to the question was upheld by a difference of 52 votes.

In December, 15 supporters of the Mile Square Taxpayers Association — those who oppose rent control — filed an election contest to overturn
the result. Which Farrington ultimately did.

In an earlier interview, Fallick called the ruling "outrageous."

"Hoboken Fair Housing Association believes that the originally certified election results defeating (public question #2) represents the true will of the citizens of Hoboken," stated the HFHA press release.