MEC&F Expert Engineers

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

MASSIVE CORRUPTION EXPOSED AT THE NEW JERSEY JUDICIARY: Former corrupt judge Margaret McVeigh steals property valued at $475,000 for $20,000 in undue taxes in Wayne Township, New Jersey.








Former corrupt judge Margaret McVeigh steals property valued at $475,000 for $20,000 in undue taxes in Wayne Township, New Jersey. She was forced to resign in 2016 after complaints regarding her criminal acts 







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SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS:  ABUSE OF LAWS AND VIOLATION OF CITIZENS' CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS
Former corrupt judge Margaret McVeigh steals property valued at $475,000 for $20,000 in undue taxes in Wayne Township, New Jersey.  She was forced to resign in 2016 after complaints regarding her criminal acts
Dear Legislators:
I have been reading about abuse of laws and violation of citizens' constitutional rights by municipal and superior court judges as a way of shaking them up.  In one case reported to the media, former Chancery judge Margaret McVeigh in Passaic County stole homestead property valued at $475,000 for $20,000 in undue taxes in Wayne Township, New Jersey.  Could you please comment on this story?

Sincerely,

Camila Jones
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JUDICIAL CORRUPTION AND ABUSE OF LAWS IN NEW JERSEY


I have been reading your stories regarding local courts that must stop shaking N.J. residents down for cash.


I must inform you that these practices are not limited to the municipal courts. They are widespread in the superior courts, the Chancery (or general equity) divisions that handle tax sale foreclosures. They threaten people with forfeiting their homes and with eviction if they fail to pay taxes that may not even owe.


In my case, they stole my homestead property and place of business that was valued at $475,000 for a property tax of $20,000. The property was over-assessed by more than 40 percent in violation of N.J.S.A. 54:4-23 and the Uniformity Clause of the NJ Constitution (Article VIII, Section 1, paragraph 1(a)), and they knew it, but they confiscated my home, anyway. Tragic, tragic, situation.

The corrupt former Chancery judge Margaret McVeigh never issued an application of the law to the facts in violation of court Rule 1:7-4(a). Furthermore, court rule R. 4:64-6 states that in foreclosure of tax sale certificates, if the defendant's answer sets up the defense of the invalidity of the tax or other lien, or the invalidity of the proceedings to sell, or the invalidity of the sale, those questions shall be tried in the action. However, here there is neither fact finding nor a trial on any of the issues raised by Dr. Stephanatos. The corrupt former Chancery judge Margaret McVeigh failed to consider the equities that were in favor of Dr. Stephanatos or that a windfall will result. See M&D Assocs. v. Mandara, 366 N.J. Super. 341 (App. Div.) certif. denied, 180 N.J. 151 (2004) for its rationale that chancery courts "in such foreclosure cases should be alerted . . . that a significant windfall might result if adequate scrutiny . . . is not undertaken[,] In view of our decision, the operation of the tax sale law requires that the entire judgment must be vacated as void based upon equitable considerations.”

Dr. Stephanatos was also targeted by the government due to the filing of several lawsuits, both federal and state; he was penalized by the judges for that. What the government did was unlawful, unfair and unreasonable.

The Passaic County sheriff then filed criminal charges against me for refusing to leave my home and they claimed they were assaulted. The criminal case is pending for 7 years and 1 month now. It has not gone to trial because of the massive corruption in the judicial system and because the sheriff employees (Ronald A. Lucas and Vincent D'Agostino) committed perjury, i.e. they lied that they were assaulted. Although an assault case must be brought to trial within 1 to 2 years, it has been more than 7 years now. A defendant has a fundamental constitutional right to a speedy trial. U.S. Const., amend.VI; N.J. Const. Art. I, ¶ 10. But the state judiciary violated that right.

They also violated my constitutional rights guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment and Article I, par. 20 of the state constitution that prohibit private takings; no state court had jurisdiction or authority to take a $475,000 homestead property belonging in full to Dr. Stephanatos and deliver it to a third party (American Tax Funding, LLC). But these corrupt judges did it anyway.


What has really shocked our conscience is that ATF, LLC/Wayne Township knowingly charged unlawful and/excessive taxes in violation of the Uniformity Clause (Article VIII, Section 1, paragraph 1(a)). They also charged him 18 percent interest and 6 percent penalties on top of these excessive and illegal taxes. Thus, a tax dispute of less than $20K (the overassessment amount) became $60K. We found that Dr. Stephanatos offered to pay the $20K overassessment amount, but refused to pay the $60K amount. Then the antitrust conspirators (See the U.S. District Court in Newark Antitrust Litigation that found that ATF, LLC conspired to defraud homeowners of their properties and money) confiscated his residential real estate property, along with his business, Metropolitan Environmental Services.

PRIVATE TAKINGS ARE PROHIBITED BY BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE CONSTITUTIONS; AS A RESULT, THE CHANCERY COURT EXCEEDED ITS CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY AND ITS JUDGMENT WAS VOID AB INITIO

We provide the following two precedential New Jersey cases where the courts have ruled that an act of the legislature cannot confer any right upon an individual to deprive persons of the ordinary enjoyment of their property without just compensation. Here are the two seminal cases:

An act of the legislature cannot confer any right upon an individual to deprive persons of the ordinary enjoyment of their property without just compensation. Oechsle v. Ruhl, 140 N.J. Eq. 355, 54 A.2d 462 (Ch.1947). Constitutional Law.


An act of the legislature cannot confer upon individuals or private corporations, acting primarily for their own profit, although for public benefit as well, any right to deprive persons of the ordinary enjoyment of their property, except upon condition that just compensation be first made to the owners. Pennsylvania R. Co. v. Angel, 41 N.J. Eq. 316, 7 A. 432, 56 Am.Rep. 1 (1886).


See also the following federal law, prohibiting private takings:

The Public Use Clause provides that “one person's property may not be taken for the benefit of another private person without a justifying public purpose, even though compensation is paid.” Hawaii Hous. Auth. v. Midkiff, 467 U.S. 229, 241 (1984) (quoting Thompson v. Consol. Gas Corp., 300 U.S. 55, 80 (1937). Because a private taking cannot be constitutional even if compensated, “[a] plaintiff that proves that a government entity has taken its property for a private, not a public, use is entitled to an injunction against the unconstitutional taking, not simply compensation.” Carole Media LLC v. N.J. Transit Corp., 550 F.3d 302, 308 (3d Cir. 2008).


UNREASONABLE SEIZURES ARE PROHIBITED BY ARTICLE I, PAR. 7 OF THE NEW JERSEY CONSTITUTION

They also violated the Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures (see also Article I, Paragraph 7 of the New Jersey Constitution). They seized and confiscated a residential property valued at $475,000 (plus his business as well) for a small amount of disputed taxes. These are truly criminal acts.

If you can listen and publish my story, you will be shocked of what these judges have been doing to shake people up for money. They essentially blackmailing them: you either pay, or you lose your home; you either pay or we put you to jail; you either pay or we take your license away, and so on.

Here is a link, if you want to learn more about this case. You will be really-really-really shocked regarding what they have done to me.


http://metroforensics.blogspot.com/2018/07/the-dishonesty-of-new-jersey-judges.html

See also the corruption tip regarding Ronald Lucas who defrauded the police and firemen fund by claiming on the job disability.

http://metroforensics.blogspot.com/2018/06/corruption-tip-passaic-county-sheriffs.html

We have evidence that Dr. Stephanatos was targeted by the government employees because he had filed lawsuits asking for equal protection regarding his excessive property taxes. That is why they violated the constitution and confiscated his property for taxes that he did not even owe. These are absolutely unethical and even criminal acts.


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Report: Local courts reap $400M in fines, fees in 2017




By By MIKE CATALINI

Associated Press
July 17, 2018


New Jersey's municipal courts made $400 million in fines and fees in 2017, sometimes imposing "never-ending" and "overwhelming" financial obligations on people, a Supreme Court report said Tuesday.


The Supreme Court Committee on Municipal Court Operations, Fines and Fees unveiled the report including a list of 49 recommendations for changes to the state's municipal courts, which frequently serve as the judiciary's face in communities across the state.


Among the changes recommended are mandated hearings to determine defendants' ability to pay, as well as monitoring the use of contempt of court fees that go directly into municipal coffers.

"The committee was deeply concerned about what can be a never-ending imposition of mandatory financial obligations that have little to do with the fair administration of justice," Judge Julio Mendez, who chaired the committee, said in a statement. "They can be financially overwhelming, can disproportionately impact the poor, and often become the starting point for an ongoing cycle of court involvement for individuals with limited resources."

The report also found that penalties can vary greatly from judge to judge and court to court.

The document, which follows a 2016 Asbury Park Press investigation into municipal court fees and fines, cautions against courts becoming pressured by towns' concerns for greater revenues. The newspaper found, among other things, that residents faced nearly $200 fines for failing to renew a dog license in time. The judiciary cited the newspaper report in its findings.

New Jersey Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner commissioned the panel in 2017. He says these courts handle millions of cases a year and called on them to adhere to high standards of independence and fairness.

The report said that New Jersey's local courts compared favorably to other states' and pointed in particular to mandatory training that judges and staff are required to participate in.

But it also sketched a number of concerns, including "excessive use" of discretionary contempt assessments.


"The Committee identifies that these practices at times have more to do with generating revenue than the fair administration of justice," the report said.

New Jersey has 515 such courts. Judges are appointed for three-year terms and can be re-appointed. In most cases the appointment process is set by towns' governing bodies.

PERJURY CHARGES FILED AGAINST FORMER PASSAIC COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICER RONALD LUCAS: LUCAS LIED DURING HIS GRAND JURY TESTIMONY WHEN HE CLAIMED THAT HE INJURED HIS LEFT SHOULDER DURING A FALL AT A PROPERTY ON JUNE 28, 2011





PERJURY CHARGES FILED AGAINST FORMER PASSAIC COUNTY SHERIFF OFFICER RONALD LUCAS:
LUCAS LIED DURING HIS GRAND JURY TESTIMONY WHEN HE CLAIMED THAT HE INJURED HIS LEFT SHOULDER DURING A FALL AT A PROPERTY ON JUNE 28, 2011
Lying Lucas is #41

As part of an investigation we have been performing, we discovered that Ronald A. Lucas, a former Passaic County sheriff officer with the Civil Division lied about his on-the-job shoulder injury.  Lucas claimed that he fell on the job on June 28, 2011 at 687 Indian Road, Wayne, NJ and that he injured his left shoulder requiring several pins.  He then filed a disability claim with the New Jersey Division of Pensions and Benefits (Police and Firemen Retirement System).  He was granted disability for one year with subsequent review.  After he retired with claimed disability, he obtained a job as part-time security guard at the Pequannock High School.
Bombshell evidence contradicting Lying Lucas’ injury claims: We have obtained a report by Lt. Nick Mango who stated that nobody was injured at the scene.  The report by Lucas also states that he stumbled and not fell.
We discovered that Mr. Lucas suffered shoulder injuries while playing football and lifting heavy weights over his lifetime.  He was a linebacker with the Pompton Lakes Cardinals (he played at position #41), using his shoulder to hit and tackle his opponents during practice and during football games.  He also lifted very heavy weights to do body building.  Lucas has fallen on his shoulder probably thousand times during his athletic and training career.
Everybody knows that linebackers hit and tackle their opponents using their shoulders.  These athletes also lift heavy weights and they end-up injuries their shoulders.   He (Lucas) even made the All County Team in 1980, showing how hard he was working out.  Based on our investigation, we found that weight lifting athletes do suffer shoulder injuries of the type claimed by Lucas.
He also trained his two sons (Dean Lucas and Ronnie Lucas) into playing TE and DE positions also with the Cardinals football team.  In fact, linebackers suffer at least 13.5 percent of all football injuries and at least 65 percent of the linebackers end up undergoing surgery.
Lt. Nick Mango wrote in his June 28, 2011 report that “nobody was hurt”.  Also, Lucas never wrote in his June 28, 2018 report that he was injured.  He specifically wrote:  “As I entered the woods I stumbled”.  He never wrote that he was injured.  However, during this grand jury testimony, he provided a diametrically different picture:
Lucas claimed that he fell on his elbow and shoulder, but was able to regain his balance, and he ran into a wooded area to seek cover behind a large boulder.   Lucas claimed that he tore his biceps and had surgery on his shoulder, and “ended up having a pretty severe injury” in his shoulder, requiring “five pins.”  Of course we now know that this guy was a football player and body builder and suffered these injuries over his many years of lifting heavy weights and hitting his opponents with his shoulder (he was a linebacker with the Pompton Lakes Cardinals at #41).  This guy then defrauded the Police and Firemen Retirement Fund by claiming disability and started the double dipping.
So, from flip-flopping regarding the color of the gun; to whether the door was closed or open; to whether he knocked the door or not; to whether he suffered a major injury or not, Lying Lucas has some serious credibility issues; and all his lies were allowed to poison the grand jury deliberations.
We have obtained photos showing Mr. Lucas lifting weights, after his alleged job-ending disability.  See for example the attached image that is dated December 2013.
It is obvious to a reasonable and objective person that Lucas (in his mid-50s) took this incident on June 28, 2011 to claim on-the job-injury to be able to repair his previously injured shoulder at taxpayers’ expense and to retire and then blame Basilis Stephanatos for his injuries.  After he retired, he started the double dipping.  The finest of New Jersey at "work".

Worker died after he was hit by a truck while working around a loading dock at Bay Valley Foods, in Erie County, PA



 It was only time before somebody got killed there.  The truck traffic gets so busy that this was a disaster in the making.






Erie man killed in North East workplace accident

By Tim Hahn

September 2, 2018

The man was pronounced dead on Friday night. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.

NORTH EAST, PA —



The Pennsylvania State Police and the Erie County Coroner’s Office are investigating the death of an Erie man who was killed in a workplace accident at a North East Township business on Friday.

The 53-year-old man, whose name has not been released, died after he was hit by a truck while working around a loading dock at Bay Valley Foods, Erie County Deputy Coroner John Maloney said Sunday. Bay Valley Foods is located on Parkway Drive, off Loomis Street east of North East Borough.

Emergency responders were called to the business after the incident was reported on Friday at 5:45 p.m., according to East Erie County Emergency Communications. Maloney said he pronounced the man dead at the scene at 7:02 p.m. Friday. An autopsy will be performed on Tuesday, he said.

State police in Lawrence Park Township confirmed on Sunday that they are investigating the incident but did not release any other information.

A spokesman for Bay Valley Foods parent company TreeHouse Foods Inc. on Sunday confirmed the incident and expressed sympathy to the man’s family. He said the company is working with the authorities in their investigation.


It was only time before somebody got killed there.  The truck traffic gets so busy that this was a disaster in the making.





Bay Valley Foods is a leading provider of private label foods and food service goods in North America. Look closely the next time you visit a grocery store or happen into a restaurant kitchen. Most likely, you’ll see our products there. We’re Bay Valley Foods, a leading provider of shelf stable foods, including pickles, relish, non-dairy coffee creamers, salad dressings, marinades and BBQ sauces, cheese sauces, puddings, aseptic broths & stocks, salsa and picante, and special sauces

National Safety Council estimated that 40,100 people were killed in 2017 accidents on the deadliest roads of the world






10,497 DRUNK DRIVING DEATHS IN 2016
37,461 NUMBER OF LIVES LOST ON U.S. ROADWAYS IN 2016.
3,450 DEATHS IN DISTRACTION-RELATED CRASHES.



U.S. vehicle deaths topped 40,000 in 2017, National Safety Council estimates


Nathan Bomey, USA TODAY 


 Feb. 15, 2018


Texting isn't the only problem while driving. The most dangerous distraction comes within the car! Buzz60


U.S. vehicle deaths barely declined in 2017 but remained notably higher than in 2015, according to a new report.

The National Safety Council estimated automotive fatalities topped 40,000 for the second consecutive year.

The estimates are not the official federal figures, which will be released later this year by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They also include deaths that NHTSA does not classify as roadway deaths.

Regardless, the report underscores the emerging consensus among policymakers that traffic deaths constitute a public health crisis that should not be tolerated.

While automakers have dramatically improved car safety in recent decades, with advancements such as strategically placed air bags and high-tech collision avoidance systems, other factors have kept the death toll high.

Key to the crisis is distracted driving, speeding and people who still don't use their seat belts.

The National Safety Council estimated that 40,100 people were killed in 2017 accidents, down about 1% from its 2016 estimate but up about 6% from 2015.


"We're treading water, essentially," National Safety Council spokeswoman Maureen Vogel said. "We're not making progress."

NHTSA estimated that car accidents killed 37,461 people in 2016, up 5.6% from 2015. The government counts only deaths on public roads, while the council includes parking lots, driveways and private roads.

Lawmakers, regulators and automakers say stubbornly high traffic deaths create a sense of urgency to develop self-driving vehicles, which are expected to dramatically improve road safety.

But that's a long-term hope, perhaps not yielding significant public safety benefits for decades. In the short term, safety advocates hope for simple improvements, such as more collision warning systems and additional education of drivers about the dangers of cellphone use while behind the wheel.

"This is a stark reminder that our complacency is killing us," Deborah A.P. Hersman, CEO of the National Safety Council, said in a statement. "The only acceptable number is zero; we need to mobilize a full-court press to improve roadway safety."

Food cooking on a stove has been identified as the cause of a fatal apartment fire that killed Barbara Ann Lowe, 68, at the Ashler Oaks apartments in San Antonio, Texas






Food cooking on a stove has been identified as the cause of a fatal apartment fire.

A "flash over" happened and the woman was killed in the fire.
 
Barbara Ann Lowe, 68, was killed in the fire. Firefighters found her dead in her bed, officials said. According to the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office, she died of injuries related to the fire and a dilated heart.


Lowe's son was one of the people injured in the blaze. A neighbor said Lowe's son tried to rescue his mother from the blaze but was overpowered by the flames.



SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS -- 


Firefighters say food cooking on a stove has been identified as the cause of a fatal apartment fire.

Firefighters were called to the Ashler Oaks apartments, at 4100 Parkdale Drive, at about 10:15 p.m. on Aug. 20 for reports of a fire. San Antonio Fire Department Chief Charles Hood said firefighters broke through a window and found a woman inside the room. A "flash over" happened and the woman was killed in the fire, Hood said.

Tai Bannister was sent to the hospital after suffering injuries when he fell from a second story balcony while trying to save his dogs. He was one of two people hurt in the fire. Eight adults and two children were displaced by the fire, Hood said, but there were no injuries to firefighters.

One of Bannister's dogs, Jax, went missing after the fire, but was later found on Tuesday.

“Tai’s first reaction was to go back inside and get the dogs, and when he went back he wasn’t able to go through the door anymore so he had to go through the balcony,” said Maria Northcutt, a relative of Bannister.

Hood said four units were destroyed, while adding that it's "pretty amazing" that the damage was limited to just four units.