TR Council Approves a Contract for Eminent Domain Attorney

Toms River Council members move closer to using eminent domain on holdout beach

front property owners. Tonight the council approved a $75,000 no-bid contract for legal services from a politically connected law firm based in central Jersey.

The contract to Paul Rizzo of DiFrancesco, Bateman, Coley, Yospin, Kunzman, Davis, Lehrer & Flaum calls for paying $195 an hour for attorney fees, $75 an hour for paralegal services ending 12/31. The contract is retroactive to August 15th 2013.

Citing that the tight time frame would be impacted by the bidding process, Council President George Wittman says they decided to forego bidding and select a law firm they've worked with in the past and that is familiar with eminent domain proceedings. However Wittman stressed that the total dollar amount can not exceed $75,000.