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

FULL STORY: A Jersey land war is caught on tape

Sunday, March 30, 2003 in The Star-Ledger

Government / Politics New Jersey

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

Get top-rated, practical training

Start Learning

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.