The legal battle over two school buildings has resulted in legal fees exceeding $3 million, surpassing the $1.8 million received from their sale. The district's attempt to reclaim the properties has proven costly, with taxpayers bearing the financial burden.
TAPinto Newark has monitored the ongoing expenses incurred by public entities involved in this case. These entities rely on taxpayer funding, making the mounting legal fees a concern for residents. As of December 2023, TAPinto Newark reported that these costs had already surpassed $2.4 million.
Marc Pfeiffer, associate director at Bloustein Local Government Research Center at Rutgers University, commented on the situation: “Unless there were provisions in the contract of sale to allow it, or the District is accusing the buyers of fraud or some other violation of the contract, it is exceptionally out of the ordinary to try to ‘claw back’ a property sale.”
