Caught On Tape: Builders Vs. Towns

A builder hired private investigators to go undercover, gain trust, and secretly tape city officlals for two years.

1 minute read

March 31, 2003, 2:00 PM PST

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech


"In the high-stakes war between builders and towns, developers often accuse local officials of going to questionable lengths to stop projects. Towns complain builders use high-priced lawyers to pummel them into submission. "Now, both sides say they have proof of mistreatment by the other. In what has to be one of the most bizarre eco-spats, one side has caught the other on tape. "Frustrated by years of what he considered prejudicial treatment by Readington Township officials, builder Mark Hartman hired private investigators to go undercover. Posing as environmentalists, the husband-and-wife team gained the trust of the mayor and township committee and secretly taped officials for more than two years. "The sting, characterized by township officials as an unscrupulous and unsuccessful attempt at entrapment, provides insight into how far both sides will go to gain legal advantage."

Thanks to David J. Hojsak

Sunday, March 30, 2003 in The Star-Ledger

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight