NJ Appellate Law Blog – NJ Appellate Lawyer Bruce D. Greenberg blogs about Appeals and Appellate Law Practice

Michael E. Patunas (1967-2018)

This is a very difficult post to write. Michael E. Patunas was my colleague at Lite DePalma Greenberg, LLC for more than fifteen years. He was my partner for a...

Unlike Municipal License Fees for Landlords, Municipal Fees to Defray Costs of Inspecting Apartment Units Are Authorized

Cona v. Township of Washington, 456 N.J. Super. 197 (App. Div. 2018). In Timber Glen Phase III, LLC v. Hamilton Tp., 441 N.J. Super. 514 (App. Div. 2015), the Appellate...

As Summer Nears Its End, the Third Circuit Cranks Out Opinions

This time of the year there are slim pickings in terms of published opinions of the Supreme Court of New Jersey or the Appellate Division. Even unpublished Appellate Division opinions...

ADA Class Action Plaintiffs Win on Standing, but Lose (For Now) on Class Certification

Mielo v. Steak ‘n Shake Operations, Inc., 897 F.3d 467 (3d Cir. 2018). This was an appeal under Rule 23(f) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure from a District...

Class of Kia Vehicles Owners Was Entitled to Damages Based on Aggregate Figures Rather Than Individual Damage Assessments

Little v. Kia Motors America, Inc., 455 N.J. Super. 411 (App. Div. 2018). Class actions notoriously take a long time. But the case in which Judge Koblitz issued a decision...

The Third Circuit Clarifies CAFA's "Local Controversy Exception" on Unusual Facts

Walsh v. Defenders, Inc., 894 F.3d 583 (3d Cir. 2018). The "local controversy" exception to federal jurisdiction over putative class actions under the so-called Class Action Fairness Act of 2005,...

The TCCWNA and Towing Companies

Pisack v. B&C Towing, Inc., 455 N.J. Super. 225 (App. Div. 2018). This decision by Judge Gilson today in three consolidated appeals implicates the Predatory Towing Prevention Act, N.J.S.A. 56:13-7...

U.S. Supreme Court Restricts American Pipe Class Action Tolling Doctrine

China Agritech, Inc. v. Resh, 138 S.Ct. 1800 (2018). In American Pipe & Const. Co. v. Utah, 414 U.S. 538 (1974), the Supreme Court of the United States announced a...

Some Clarity on the Substantive Provisions of the TCCWNA

Spade v. Select Comfort Corp., 232 N.J. 504 (2018). [Disclosure: My partner Susana Cruz Hodge and I submitted an amicus curiae brief in support of the plaintiffs in this case,...

A Defective Products Class Action Fails for a Unique Reason

Gonzalez v. Owens Corning, 885 F.3d 186 (3d Cir. 2018). This putative class action case, brought by consumers in four states, asserted that "Oakridge" roof shingles sold by defendants ("Owens...

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"Hot Fun in the Summertime": Appellate Division Summer Parts

In an Order available here, Chief Justice Rabner announced the lineup for the Appellate Division's summer Parts. As has been customary, the "summer" runs not between the meteorological start and end dates for summer, nor from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but from June 16 through September 7....

The Supreme Court Confirms That Municipalities Can be Subjected to Sanctions for Frivolous Litigation

Borough of Englewood Cliffs v. Trautner, ___ N.J. ___ (2025). This appeal presented the question of whether municipalities can be liable to pay sanctions for frivolous litigation, under the Frivolous Litigation Statute, N.J.S.A. 2A:15-59.1 ("the FLS"). In a 5-0 opinion written by Justice Fasciale (Chief Justice Rabner and Justice Hoffman did not participate), the Court affirmed, as modified, the decision of the Appellate Division that upheld the Law Division's imposition of FLS sanctions against the Borough....

The "Castle Doctrine"

State v. Bragg, ___ N.J. ___ (2025). A jury found defendant guilty of twelve charged counts, including attempted murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, endangering, and two lesser-included offenses of harassment. Some of those charges involved the use of deadly force. Persons may not use deadly force if the can retreat with complete safety. But under the "castle doctrine," an exception to the general rule, a person "is not obliged to retreat from his dwelling, unless he was the initial aggressor." N.J.S.A. 2C:3-4(b)(2)(b)(i). That doctrine derives from the common law....

No Arbitrariness in Rejection of Public Construction Bid That Failed to Include a Properly Signed, Required Consent of Surety

In the Matter of Protest Filed by El Sol Contracting and Construction Corp., Contract T100.638, ___ N.J. ___ (2025). This public bidding case resulted in a 5-2 split at the Supreme Court, the first non-unanimous ruling of the current Term. Justice Hoffman wrote the majority opinion, while Justice Fasciale authored the dissent for himself and Justice Pierre-Louis....