Opinion ID: 1901249
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Standing to Challenge Mahwah's Ordinance

Text: Before proceeding to a discussion of Mahwah's fair share obligations, we address the Township's claim that plaintiffs lack standing in this case due to the closing of Ford's Mahwah plant. As mentioned previously, the Appellate Division upheld the standing of the individual non-resident employees at an earlier stage of litigation, and found it unnecessary to rule on the Urban League's standing. The Township claims that the closing of the Ford plant undercuts the individual plaintiffs' right to sue, and therefore makes dismissal appropriate, since they suggest that the Urban League lacks standing to continue the suit on its own. We disagree, and intend to clarify the standing doctrine as it applies to exclusionary zoning cases. As this Court pointed out in Crescent Park Tenants Ass'n v. Realty Equities Corp. of N.Y., 58 N.J. 98 (1971), New Jersey cases have historically taken a much more liberal approach on the issue of standing than have the federal cases. Id. at 101. New Jersey courts, we noted, have never allowed procedural frustration to prevent determinations on the merits where the plaintiff can demonstrate a legitimate interest in the lawsuit. Id. at 107-08. See also State v. Alston, 88 N.J. 211, 225-230 (1981); N.J. Chamb. Commerce v. N.J. Elec. Law Enforce. Comm., 82 N.J. 57, 67-69 (1980); Home Builders League of So. Jersey, Inc. v. Twp. of Berlin, 81 N.J. 127, 131-32 (1979). We believe that the need for a liberal approach to standing is especially important in Mount Laurel litigation. The people who have the greatest interest in ending exclusionary zoning, non-resident poor people and organizations such as the Urban League, which represent the interests of such people, very often have little or no direct relationship with particular exclusionary municipalities. In fact, the whole problem is that exclusionary zoning prevents such relationships from developing. Thus, we hold that any individual demonstrating an interest in, or any organization that has the objective of, securing lower income housing opportunities in a municipality will have standing to sue such municipality on Mount Laurel grounds. In Mahwah itself, we agree with the Appellate Division's holding in Urban League of Essex Cty. v. Township of Mahwah, 147 N.J. Super. 28, certif. den., 74 N.J. 278 (1977), that the individual plaintiffs had standing to sue. We find it irrelevant that the Mahwah Ford plant at which these plaintiffs worked is now closed, since the plaintiffs still express an interest in securing lower income housing opportunities in Mahwah. Further, we hold that the Urban League plainly has standing to sue in this case since, in effect, it represents those nonresident poor most in need of expanded lower income housing opportunities in suburbs such as Mahwah.