Paterson collects 'unprecedented' fines in crackdown of negligent landlords

PATERSON, N.J. (PIX11) -- In an effort to crack down on negligent landlords, Paterson is announcing a new initiative they call 'Operation Feet to the Fire.'

"It's not just landlords," said Mayor Andre Sayegh. "Any property owner is going to be held to the highest standards because we have high standards for our residents."

The Operation, the City says, looks to enforce fire and building code violations and hold landlords accountable.

The City says it has fined landlords for violations spanning from garbage, to zoning to fire codes.

"Since 2023, the city has collected over $600,000 in fines related to fire code safety and fire code violations," said city counsel Aymen Aboushi.

In this year alone, Paterson says it has issued nearly half a million dollars in fines to property owners.

"The fines were for things like blocking means of egress, not having proper fire extinguishers, having electrical equipment that posed a hazard, and having holes in walls and floors and things like that," said Aboushi.

City officials point to one example of a fire that happened on New Year's Day 2023 in the 200 block of Harrison Street. A new building is now in its place, but officials say the old building had violations in the months before the fire. City fire officials say the money collected from fines will go to fire prevention and education efforts.

"Property owners who think it's okay to violate the fire code and the city's code on property, we will continue to come after you, we will continue to enforce our laws," said Aboushi.