Re: Traffic Ticket - Fighting It
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Sitting around for an hour waiting in the courtroom I felt really bad for the people who were there who really, really didn't understand the system and were clearly about to get screwed by it. I repeatedly saw the prosecutor talking to young guys, like 18 years old, there on serious charges with potential jail time, and asking "Do you want a public defender or will you defend yourself?". And at least half picked the 2nd choice.
The only kid I saw them take care of was one who showed up with his recruiter from the Marines and apparently was to ship off in a short time for boot camp and could not have a serious charge on his record. He had failed to turn some paperwork in on time, so the public defender could not officially take him on. But the public defender did it anyway pro-bono, and quickly worked out a way to turn a burglary charge into some violation of the municipal code with only a $250 fine. That in itself didn't bother me -- he was young, no prior record, the report didn't show that anything was actually stolen, etc -- but I'm not sure how I felt that he was taken care of while others got zero help.
Posted on: 2009/8/13 1:21
|
|||
|
Re: Traffic Ticket - Fighting It
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
I just found myself in a similar situation. I got a ridiculous reckless driving ticket for what was at worst a questionable lane change. Reckless driving requires the court to prove I caused an accident or could have caused an accident, neither of which was remotely true in this case. I call the number on the back of the ticket to plead not guilty, then show up for my scheduled appearance thinking I'm there to have a trial. The prosecutor offers me unsafe driving which is 0 point, but around $300 fine. I turn them down, and am told that it's impossible to have a trial on the 1st appearance, and I have to plead not guilty in front of the judge and get a court date. Someone please explain to me why I had to call to tell them this if I have to do it in person anyway? So, they give me the date and say the officer will be subpoenaed to appear that day. I get a notice in the mail a short time later telling me my date was pushed back a week. So I show up today for trial with all my photos, research, etc. The prosecutor meets with me and offers something like blocking the flow of traffic, 0 point, $70ish fine + $30ish fee so around $100 total. I say no, telling her I'm here for my trial but don't see the officer, so I'm going to ask the judge to excuse the case. She tells me that according to her forms I'm not scheduled today for trial, the cop has not been subpoenaed, and the judge will just schedule another date. She chaulks it up to administrative error and there's nothing I can do about it. Having missed two half days of work for this garbage, I take the plea bargain and it ends up that the fine was closer to $110 and I'm out $139 total. I've been to parking court a few times (winning every time but losing lots of time in the process), and now this, and I swear they do everything possible to make the process as drawn out and difficult in order to force you to take the plea. Maybe the prosecutor lied to me today and I could have gotten it dismissed, but I couldn't risk missing more work. I know there's a recording of the 1st appearance where the judge backs up everything I said about scheduling a trial and the cop being there, but it's not like I had any power to use that to help me.
Posted on: 2009/8/12 21:46
|
|||
|
Re: Architecture in "The Hill"
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
Astor is a beautiful block. Most residents are actively trying to keep it nice and they have their own block association. $139k sounds way cheap for a brownstone there, even a small one. I bet it needs a ton of work.
Posted on: 2009/8/12 16:40
|
|||
|
Re: Obtaining a Variance?
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Don't listen to people here. As someone who got a zoning variance with zero bribes involved, it is very possible.
You need to talk to a lawyer who has done this many times in JC. You can find the agendas and minutes for the Board of Adjustment meetings going back a couple years here: http://cityofjerseycity.com/agenda.aspx?id=1264 Notice that attorney is listed for every project coming in front of the board. There's your list of potential lawyers to hire. Good luck.
Posted on: 2009/8/11 15:13
|
|||
|
Re: Several local politicians arrested on corruption charges
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
Healy does have a reputation for eating almost exclusively at the Medical Center Luncheonette, which is a short walk from the Astor Bar, of course.
Posted on: 2009/7/24 15:29
|
|||
|
Re: The Beacon
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
A lot of people live in the surrounding area and would take advantage of retail there. I would be overjoyed if they put in a mid to high-end supermarket. But they'd have to do validated free parking, kind of like the Morton Williams at Newport. Anyone know when the parking garage is getting built? The original plans showed a big one on the back of the property, if I'm recalling correctly. And there was always talk of a nice restaurant on a high floor with views which I hope they're still planning.
Posted on: 2009/7/1 16:29
|
|||
|
Re: ????Info on obtaining R1 driveway variance???
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
Some of us want aesthetics too, thank you. It's possible to have both. If the JC Parking Authority would develop all the vacant land they own in well-landscaped parking lots or well-designed garages, instead of selling the land to developers, as they've done time and time again, then we'd all be in a much better position.
Posted on: 2009/6/25 17:00
|
|||
|
Re: The Beacon
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
You ignorance really shines through. It will be mixed-income, and will probably include street-level retail, as they're using Hope VI funding. See: http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/ph/hope6/about/ Drive by the corner of Duncan Ave and Truck Route 1&9 to see one of these projects in progress. It's a huge improvement over the old brick high-rise projects.
Posted on: 2009/6/25 16:51
|
|||
|
Re: Downtown/Waterfront: Fire and Oak, fine dining at a nice price, $15-26 for an entree
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
I'm went a couple weeks back and about half the food was oversalted and the service was odd. But I think this is par for the course for a restaurant only open a few weeks, and would give them another shot in the future. The budget focus of the article is off. It's not an inexpensive place to eat by any means. They do have some daily deals like $1 oysters on Mondays, half price sushi on some other day, etc, but that's about it for budget dining.
Anyone else think that all of South City's restaurants are way over-designed? It's like they're trying too hard to look cool.
Posted on: 2009/6/24 15:52
|
|||
|
Re: ????Info on obtaining R1 driveway variance???
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
You'll need to hire a lawyer familiar with the JC variance process, a licensed professional planner also familar with JC to testisfy in front of the board, and an architect to do the drawings and also speak at the meeting. There are also all sorts of fees involved, everything from filing fees, to court reporter fees, to the postage to send certified notices to all your neighbors within X feet of you. And if you lose, which you probably will since the board rarely grants driveway variences, you're still going to be out all those thousands of dollars and many months wasted. I successfully got a variance here in JC for something else, and it cost me about $8k.
Posted on: 2009/6/24 15:44
|
|||
|
Re: can anyone recommend a tile installer?
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Seeking very skilled tile contractor not afraid of 75+ year old subway tiles and re-grouting old-style razor-thin grout lines. I'm not interested in working with someone who only does new installs. I'm willing to pay a premium price for premium work.
Posted on: 2009/6/18 15:38
|
|||
|
Re: rules for renting out a basement apt?
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
If most of the houses on the block are 2 family, it's most likely an R-1 zone (1-2 family houses) and converting to 3+ legal units will require a zoning variance. You'll need a lawyer, an architect, and a professional planner. There are various other fees, including paying for certified mail to give notice to all your neighbors, which can be significant if there's a large condo building within X hundred feet of the property. Budget at least $5k for all of this, and there's no guaranty you'll be successful, so it could be money down the drain.
Posted on: 2009/5/20 22:07
|
|||
|
Re: Journal Square: Canco sales have been slow - new perk buy a penthouse get a car
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
Please define "about to". The general consensus is they will not break ground this year. We're at least a couple years away from completed buildings.
Posted on: 2009/5/19 14:23
|
|||
|
Re: Dear At-Large Candidate Marie Day...
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
I saw them on Bergen. Nice way to ensure I don't vote for the candidate.
Posted on: 2009/5/12 14:42
|
|||
|
Re: Beacon Area: 4 robbed at gunpoint by two masked men
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
You can't assume everyone has a bank account and easy access to ATMs. Ever notice all the check cashing businesses in JC? People who use them often carry more cash then they should.
Of course in same cases, it's drug dealers being robbed. Quote:
Posted on: 2009/5/4 17:24
|
|||
|
Re: DeRosa unanimously re-elected chief and Dehere vice pres - tabled tuition hike out-of-district kids
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
One needs to test into McNair. No teacher is getting their "average Joe" child into this school. It's a pretty standard policy that teachers can bring their children into the school district they work at. The issue here is that they are only paying 10% of the real cost, not that kids are going to a school they're not up to standards for.
Posted on: 2009/5/1 13:53
|
|||
|
Re: Damn Healy Van
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
If you see them at Walgreens again, make a note of the day and time and file a complaint here:
https://www.walgreens.com/contactus/contactus_store.jsp Pick "safety" for the category. The security guards are supposed to be monitoring the parking lot and dealing with any problems. Walgreens Corporate is very responsive to these complaints. You'll probably get a phone call from a scared-sounding store manager within 24 hours.
Posted on: 2009/4/22 19:19
|
|||
|
Re: Discarding old tires
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
I've done this, and it works, but it's really confusing where exactly to take them. The JCIA has a number of driveways off 440, and it took me a few tries to find the right one and the right office to fill out the form. Then they have you drive to a giant tire dumpster, and that took a couple tries to find.
I wouldn't go the Pep Boys route. Most businesses like that have cameras on their dumpsters off-hours. Quote:
Posted on: 2009/4/14 14:01
|
|||
|
Re: Parking around McGinley Square
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
I live right around here, and don't have a huge amount of first-hand experience with the parking, as I have a driveway, but it's really not as bad as people let on. On the few occasions I've needed on-street parking, I've always found a spot within 3 blocks (usually 1 block) and within a few minutes every time. At one point I temporarily lived in one of the apartment buildings here with no parking, and every time I saw another resident go to park their car after unloading groceries, they'd be back within 5 minutes. There is no zone permit required in this part of town.
As for parking lots, there are a couple of them on Bergen, a block or two away. I think they're around $80 a month. The JC Women's Club on Fairmount between JFK and Westside rents out some spots, but I think it's $125 or $150, which is kind of nuts for a non-garage space. Various people in the neighborhood rent out spaces behind their homes too. Quote:
Posted on: 2009/3/24 21:43
|
|||
|
Re: Hazardous sidewalks
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
This might fall under the enforcement of the N.I.D. See http://www.cityofjerseycity.com/public_works.aspx?id=1428
Posted on: 2009/3/24 18:27
|
|||
|
Re: Lincoln Park Golf
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
It's at the corner of Truck Route 1&9 and Duncan Ave. From downtown drive all the way up Montgomery to the end, left on West Side, Right on Duncan, cross 1&9 and turn left into the parking lot (yes, there is parking on-site.)
I can't comment on the quality of the range, since I don't play.
Posted on: 2009/3/20 14:53
|
|||
|
Re: McGinley Square
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
No need for all the drama -- it's a very common term for a gentrifier, but I'm guessing you already know that. Say whatever you want about gentrification, but I think most people who are coming into this area are not trying to force anyone out, expect for the assholes who break into cars. Oh, and the people who don't clean up after their dogs.
Posted on: 2009/3/10 19:02
|
|||
|
Re: Political Stickers in Jersey City
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
He still hasn't cleaned up his stickers and signs from various previous campaigns (oh sorry, I mean "the stickers that his overzealous supporters and/or enemies have put up without his knowledge and/or financial backing" -- yeah right.) So I don't see him starting now.
I'll usually remove illegally posted signs and stickers, regardless of candidate or party, while walking to and from the PATH on my commute. I don't touch anything on private property, but street lights, power line poles, trees, etc are all fair game. A few years back one of his cronies verbally and almost physically threated me while I was pulling down his posters on JFK.
Posted on: 2009/2/18 22:23
|
|||
|
Re: Where can I find affordable Condos?
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
I was calling the "not safe" bit untrue. I don't really have an opinion on the "affordable" part since as you note, it totally depends on what you need and what your budget it.
Quote:
Posted on: 2009/2/17 22:21
|
|||
|
Re: Where can I find affordable Condos?
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
Absolutely not true.
Posted on: 2009/2/17 20:35
|
|||
|
Re: Where can I find affordable Condos?
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Anecdotally, I hear of more crime near Journal Square than away from it, so I'd think Lincoln Park is safer. But I think it's a marginal difference either way. The condos closer to Lincoln Park tend to be pre-war buildings, versus St. Johns which from their looks I'd peg at 1960s, so if aesthetics matter to you, that's another factor in comparing the two.
Quote:
Posted on: 2009/2/17 20:33
|
|||
|
Re: New York Times: Recycling, and Selling, Some History - NEW APARTMENTS The m650 Flats in Jersey C
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Agreed, absolutely not a warzone. Plus Montgomery Gardens is going away, to be replaced with Hope VI housing (like the very nice looking stuff going up at Duncan and Truck Rt. 1/9). There's a thread about it somewhere on here.
Posted on: 2009/2/11 23:01
|
|||
|
Re: Powerhouse Arts District: artists win affordable units case - each valued at more than $400,000
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
It says the city gets the units for $1 each, not the artists. Presumably the city then sells them to artists for more than $1, but less than $400k. It's not losing nearly as much tax revenue as you might think.
Posted on: 2009/2/9 20:50
|
|||
|
Re: FBI: Jersey City building inspector took bribes to look the other way
|
||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Home away from home
|
Quote:
Not directly, but I'm in the middle-to-end of a big project and my general contractor told me this weekend that this guy did two of our inspections. There wasn't any funny business, but the city is probably going to send someone to double check that work. Even ignoring issues like this, JC is pretty awful when it comes to the building dept and inspections. We had cases where plumbers, who I was paying to be at my place all morning, left a huge sign on my front door saying "Please come around back for inspection" and the inspector falsely reported that no one was there. I pay way too much for building permits to put up with this BS.
Posted on: 2009/2/9 15:18
|
|||
|