Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • December 1, 2010 Mahwah Council amends, withdraws ordinance concerning dogs by Frank J. McMahon The Mahwah Council amended, and then withdrew, an ordinance that would have made it unlawful for any person to allow a dog to enter upon or use any recreational facility in the township. Prior to last week’s public council meeting, the ordinance was amended to change the township code to only make it unlawful for any person to allow any dog to enter upon the synthetic field in the Continental Soldiers Park on Ramapo Valley Road. But, after hearing feedback from numerous dog owners, trainers, and other dog advocates, the council voted unanimously to withdraw the ordinance and to have the council’s Ordinance Committee review it and craft an appropriate ordinance to protect the Continental Soldiers Park field. The council’s withdrawal of the ordinance came in response to an emotional response to the proposal by about 75 members of the public, some of whom are township residents. Others who opposed the ordinance are members of dog clubs, dog trainers, or legislative aides interested in dog protection legislation. The crowd filled the council chambers, and 26 people formally voiced their objections to the ordinance. Others expressed Lawsuit Financing Firm Prospers Amid Gloom As the economy weakens, J a e s o n Birnbaum’s business gets stronger. Sevenyear-old Cash4Cases Inc. is one of a growing BIRNBAUM number of companies - not without controversy - that advance money to people waiting for the outcome or payout from a lawsuit, most commonly personal injury, product liability or medical malpractice. Birnbaum, a lawyer from Upper Saddle River, charges a hefty interest rate - generally 3 percent a month - on the advance. He funds the operation with bank loans, and, more recently, capital from investors - to whom, he says, he pays 12 percent interest. Birnbaum said he has seen a surge in willing lenders and advance recipients lately, as financially strapped litigants look for short-term cash and investors seek an alternative to the plummeting financial markets. “You hear so much gloom in the media,” said Birnbaum, 36, whose company has offices in New York, Florida and Boston. “In our business, it’s a great time for us.” Birnbaum, who grew up in Saddle River, said he started the business after he found it tough to attract clients for a New York personal injury firm he started with three friends. Cash advance companies had frequently approached him looking for clients, said Birnbaum, who figured he could start a similar business. The business, which started with four employees in 2003, now has 19. The company has so far paid more than 200 advances totaling about $7 million, Birnbaum said. To limit risk, he said, Cash4Cases generally advances no more than 10 percent of the client’s expected settlement. “We are very conservative,” he added. The practice has attracted little interest from New Jersey authorities, but has come under scrutiny in other states. In 2005, then New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer settled with nine cash advance companies after his office said it became concerned that some arrangements “could exploit consumers due to the complex nature of the transaction.” The settlement required the companies, from New York, Nevada and Illinois, to more clearly set out the terms of the advance and the amount to be repaid, and required them to give borrowers a five-day period to cancel the deal. Birnbaum said he used to pay investors 17 percent interest on a loan, but recently reduced the rate to 12 percent when the return on investments elsewhere declined. And there is no shortage of clients looking for cash, he said. Over the last couple of months he’s seen the “largest growth, on both ends of the spectrum,” he said. “People really need the money!” To contact Jaeson Birnbaum, Esq. call 212-684-1060 or email JLB@cash4cases.com their support for the speakers by applauding on several occasions. The objectors provided a varied list of reasons the ordinance should be abandoned. One voiced concern that this would be just the first step in restricting dog owners. Another emphasized that dog owners need a place for their dogs to run, while someone else pointed out that many streets in Mahwah do not have sidewalks, and it is dangerous to walk a dog on those streets. Others said the ordinance represents another loss of freedom, and believed the ordinance would make the township into a “laughing stock.” One person referred to the ordinance as “a black eye for Mahwah.” Still other explained how dogs help troubled adolescents learn to socialize, and how dogs help law enforcement officers in search operations while others said the ordinance was disrespectful to dog owners. Jeff Ball, who lives in Ridgewood and is the first vice president of the New Jersey Federation of Dog Clubs, told the council his organization encourages people to socialize their dogs. “There are ways to go about this without putting the burden on dog owners,” Ball said. Larry Janisheski, who lives on Ramapo (continued on page 15) ��������� ������������ �������� ������������� Holiday Special � ������ ������������� ��������� �������� Hair Care �������������� ��������������� ���������������� Family Reprinted with the permission of the Bergen Record �������������������� ���������������������� ���������������������������������� �������������� ��������� ���������� ������������ �������������� ����������� �������������� � ��������� Start earning income immediately with our fixed income product! The Cash4Cases Investment Fund (CIF) offers 12 percent interest per year to our investors, paid on a monthly basis. For more information please contact, Jaeson Birnbaum, Esq.: 212-684-1060. C C �������������������������������������������������������������������