AYERS v. JACKSON TP.


106 N.J. 557 (1987)

525 A.2d 287

ROBERT AYERS AND MAE AYERS; WARREN J. ADELUNG, JR., CHERYL ADELUNG, AND JILL ADELUNG, BY HER GUARDIAN AD LITEM, WARREN J. ADELUNG, JR.; CHRIS BARALUS, JOYCE BARALUS, AND STELLA BARALUS; JOHN BORTOLOMETTI, MARTHA BORTOLOMETTI, AND ADAM BORTOLOMETTI, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, JOHN BORTOLOMETTI; CARL L. BATTAGLIA, DENISE BATTAGLIA, AND SHERRY ANN AND JOSEPH PETER BATTAGLIA, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, CARL L. BATTAGLIA; THEODORE R. BEEKMAN AND HOLLY BEEKMAN AND JACQUELINE AND JEFFREY BEEKMAN, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, THEODORE R. BEEKMAN; ANTHONY BENDER, MARJORIE BENDER, DAVID BENDER, AND SCOTT, JAMES AND STEVEN BENDER, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, ANTHONY BENDER; REGINALD BENESCH, KATHLEEN BENESCH, AND KELLY AND REGGIE BENESCH, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, REGINALD BENESCH; BRUCE R. BIDWELL; DANIEL BODNARCHUK, MARGARET BODNARCHUK, AND MATTHEW BODNARCHUK, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, DANIEL BODNARCHUK; ANTHONY BRACCO, JO ANN BRACCO, AND LORI ANN, STEPHANIE AND MICHELLE BRACCO, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, ANTHONY BRACCO; LOUIS BRANDENBERG, PATRICIA BRANDENBERG, TAMI BRANDENBERG, AND REBECCA, MELISSA, AND JACK BRANDENBERG, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, LOUIS BRANDENBERG; CLARENCE BROWNLEE, GAYLE BROWNLEE, AND MATTHEW AND ADAM BROWNLEE, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, CLARENCE BROWNLEE; GARY J. BURNS; ANGELO CHRISTO AND MARIE CHRISTO; MILDRED M. CLAYTON; JAMES COBURN, JUDY COBURN AND JAMES, JR., AND JENNIFER COBURN, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, JAMES COBURN; RICHARD COPE, CHRISTINE COPE AND JASON COPE, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, RICHARD COPE; GERALD CRIBB AND LINDA CRIBB; JOSEPH CRISTANTIELLO, YVONNE CRISTANTIELLO, AND GINA, JOHN AND PATRICIA CAROCCIA, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, JOSEPH CRISTANTIELLO; PETER J. CULLARI; TERESA DAVIS AND CHRISTINA DAVIS, A/K/A CONCETTA FRANCESCA DAVIS, BY HER GUARDIAN AD LITEM, TERESA DAVIS; MARTIN DEAN, BERNICE DEAN, AND JEROME, STEVEN AND ROBERT HARRELSON, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, MARTIN DEAN; JOSEPH A. DEANGELO AND JANICE DEANGELO; ELIZABETH DEWAARD AND ARIE DEWAARD AND JOLANDA DEWAARD, BY HER GUARDIAN AD LITEM, ARIE DEWAARD; JOSEPH DEVITO, JOANN DEVITO AND MICHELLE, LENORE AND JOSEPH DEVITO, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, JOSEPH DEVITO; VERA DJAMBINOV AND ANNA DJAMBINOV; KEVIN F. DOYLE, JOANN DOYLE AND JAMES DOYLE, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, KEVIN DOYLE; GEORGE ECKELSON, PATRICIA ECKELSON AND JOHN ECKELSON, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, GEORGE ECKELSON; ROBERT ETLING, ELIZABETH ETLING AND KEITH AND ROBIN ANN ETLING, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, ROBERT ETLING; JOHN H. FLOYSTROP AND LINDA, DEBORAH, DAVID, JAMES AND KENNETH FLOYSTROP, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, JOHN H. FLOYSTROP; STEPHEN FORGUS, JR., ROSEMARY FORGUS AND STEPHEN, III, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, STEPHEN FORGUS, JR.; FREDERICK GATTOLA; JOHN GERDES AND PATRICIA GERDES AND KATHLEEN, JOHN D. AND ROBERT GERDES, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, JOHN GERDES; ROBERT GRILLO, ADELE GRILLO AND GINA GRILLO, BY HER GUARDIAN AD LITEM, ROBERT GRILLO; GARY L. GUNDACKER, JANICE M. GUNDACKER AND AMY AND ADAM GUNDACKER, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, GARY L. GUNDACKER; FORREST HARPE AND ELSE HARPE, ROBERT HELLE AND ELSE HELLE AND JULIE HELLE, BY HER GUARDIAN AD LITEM, ROBERT HELLE; MARK E. HAYWARD, SUSAN HAYWARD AND MARK E. HAYWARD, III, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, MARK E. HAYWARD; EDWIN L. KEIL AND MARIANNE KEIL AND EDWIN KEIL, JR., BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, EDWIN L. KEIL; ROBERT KELEMEN AND ARLENE KELEMEN AND MICHAEL KELEMEN, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, ROBERT KELEMEN; JOSEPH E. KELLY, ANNELIESE KELLY AND SANDRA KELLY; BETTY ANN KEMERLE AND STEVEN AND CHRISTINA KEMERLE, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, BETTY ANN KEMERLE; ARNE KJEMS, ELSE KJEMS, INGE LISA KJEMS, AND ARNE, JR., AND DONNA MARIE KJEMS, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, ARNE KJEMS; EDWARD KORZENOK AND JULIA KORZENOK AND CHRISTINE ANN AND KAREN LEE KORZENOK, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, EDWARD KORZENOK; JAMES LAFKAS AND HELEN LAFKAS; JOSEPH LAMONICA, PEGGY LAMONICA, JOSEPH LAMONICA, JR., LISA AND JENNIFER LAMONICA, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, JOSEPH LAMONICA; KENNETH C. LAPLANTE AND CELESTE LAPLANTE; J. PETER LEIGHTON, ELAYNE A. LEIGHTON AND SANDRA CLAIRE LEIGHTON, BY HER GUARDIAN AD LITEM, J. PETER LEIGHTON; RICHARD LINDES AND MAVIS LINDES; PEARL LIPPINCOTT; WILLIAM J. LODATO AND PATRICIA C. LODATO AND ROBIN AUMACK AND BRIAN AUMACK, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, WILLIAM J. LODATO; PAUL LOGUE AND MARY LOGUE; MICHAEL LUSTER, ERNA LUSTER AND CHRISTINE AND CATHRYN LUSTER, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, MICHAEL LUSTER; ANTHONY MASSARO, PHYLLIS MASSARO AND ANTHONY, III AND TERESA ANN MASSARO, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, ANTHONY MASSARO; THEODORE MAYO AND EILEEN MAYO AND ROBERT MAYO, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, THEODORE MAYO; JAMES MCCARTHY, SUSAN MCCARTHY AND TREVOR AND DANA MCCARTHY, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM JAMES MCCARTHY; AND TARA MCCARTHY, BY HER ADMINISTRATOR AD PROSEQUENDUM, JAMES MCCARTHY; FRANCIS MCELROY; DONALD MCGEE AND SUSAN MCGEE; GORDON MCKINNON AND PATRICIA MCKINNON; R. DAVID MERRILL AND RUTH MERRILL; EUGENE D. MILLS, SANDRA J. MILLS AND WAYNE AND ERIC MILLS, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, EUGENE D. MILLS; DENNIS MOORE, MARGARET MOORE AND SCOTT MOORE, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, DENNIS MOORE; JOHN MULLEN, DIANE MULLEN AND JOHN, JR., AND JOYCE MULLEN, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, JOHN MULLEN; NORMAN MYERS, HANNAH MYERS AND MARK, DAVID AND ILANA MYERS, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, NORMAN MYERS; GILBERT OCHS, ELEANOR OCHS, MARGARET RICKERT AND DEBBIE OCHS, BY HER GUARDIAN AD LITEM, GILBERT OCHS, MICHAEL PALOCIN, JEAN PALOCIN AND MICHAEL J. AND MICHELLE JEAN PALOCIN, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, MICHAEL PALOCIN; PATRICK PIAGGIO AND FRANCIS PIAGGIO AND JEANNETTE PIAGGIO, BY HER GUARDIAN AD LITEM, PATRICK PIAGGIO; BRUCE REINARTSEN AND JOYCE REINARTSEN AND BRUCE REINARTSEN, III, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, BRUCE REINARTSEN; JOSEPH REISINGER AND ODETTE REISINGER; ISMAEL RODRIGUEZ, BRIGID RODRIGUEZ AND ISMAEL, JR., RICHARD AND WILLIAM RODRIGUEZ, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, ISMAEL RODRIGUEZ; RENARDO ROMANO AND JOYCE ROMANO AND RA AND CARINA ROMANO, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LIEM RENARDO ROMANO AND RONALD ROMANO, BY HIS ADMINISTRATOR AD PROSEQUENDUM, RENARDO ROMANO; JOSEPH ROMEO, DEBRA ROMEO AND ROCCO AND ADENA ROMEO, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, JOSEPH ROMEO; VINCENT SALEK, MARLENE SALEK, KAREN SALEK AND VINCENT SALEK, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, VINCENT SALEK; WILLIAM W. SCHADEWALD, LINDA SCHADEWALD AND LINDA, DONNA AND WILLIAM F. SCHADEWALD, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, WILLIAM W. SCHADEWALD; WAYNE E. SCHROTH, MARIE SCHROTH AND GERARD AND MARC SCHROTH, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, WAYNE E. SCHROTH; DAVID SKELTON, ELEANOR SKELTON AND DAVID SKELTON, BY HIS GUADIAN AD LITEM, DAVID SKELTON; JOSEPH SMEDLEY AND MAUREEN SMEDLEY; FRANK P. SPANO AND CARMELLA SPANO; GUS STAMOS, KAREN STAMOS AND HELEN, JOHN AND OURANIA STAMOS, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, GUS STAMOS; JOHN P. STAMOS AND SYLVIA STAMOS; JAMES SWANSON, SHEILA SWANSON AND TIGHE AND BRENN SWANSON, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, JAMES SWANSON; LASLO TAKACS AND MARGARET TAKACS; ERNEST TOBIAS AND CYNTHIA TOBIAS; BELLO TOTH, PATRICIA TOTH, AND MICHELLE AND ROBERT TOTH, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, BELLO TOTH; BARBARA AND KATHLEEN TREACY, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, BRIAN TREACY; HENRY TYRANSKI, JOANNE TYRANSKI AND KIMBERLY, TROY AND MARTIN TYRANSKI, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, HENRY TYRANSKI; CHARLES UNTISZ AND MARY UNTISZ; JOHN M. URGO AND DIANA M. URGO AND JOHN URGO, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, JOHN M. URGO; RONALD VAN NOTE, NANCY VAN NOTE AND RONALD VAN NOTE, JR., BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, RONALD VAN NOTE; FRANK VILARDI AND CONCETTA VILARDI; MICHAEL WALLACE AND JUDITH WALLACE; RICHARD A. WENDT AND LINDA WENDT AND MELINDA AND LAURI WENDT, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, RICHARD A. WENDT; WILLIAM WHEELER AND JOAN WHEELER; MARGARET WOJCIECHOWSKI AND GREGORY WOJCIECHOWSKI; MICHAEL ADELUNG, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, WARREN J. ADELUNG, JR.; TONI ANN BRACCO, BY HER GUARDIAN AD LITEM, ANTHONY BRACCO; MICHAEL COPE BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, RICHARD COPE; ELI DJAMBINOV AND NANCY DJAMBINOV; RICHARD ECKELSON; JENNIFER GRILLO, BY HER GUARDIAN AD LITEM, ROBERT GRILLO; CHRISTINE HELLE, BY HER GUARDIAN AD LITEM, ROBERT HELLE; FREDERICK KELLY; KENNETH LINDES AND DOUGLAS LINDES, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, RICHARD LINDES; CHRISTINE M. MCELROY; JOHN MCKINNON, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM GORDON MCKINNON; BRIAN MOORE, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM DENNIS MOORE; CARLOS A. RODRIGUEZ, CARMEN N. RODRIGUEZ AND CARLOS D. RODRIGUEZ BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, CARLOS A. RODRIGUEZ; JENNIFER SMEDLEY, BY HER GUARDIAN AD LITEM, JOSEPH SMEDLEY; JASON J. TOBIAS, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, ERNEST TOBIAS; BRIAN TREACY AND VIRGINIA TREACY; DENISE UNTISZ AND CHRISTINE, BY THEIR GUARDIAN AD LITEM, CHARLES UNTISZ; WILLIAM F. WHEELER, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, WILLIAM WHEELER; DEBORAH WOJCIECHOWSKI; KATHLEEN FOX AND JEROME FOX, BY HIS GUARDIAN AD LITEM, KATHLEEN FOX, PLAINTIFFS-APPELLANTS AND CROSS-RESPONDENTS, v. TOWNSHIP OF JACKSON, A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, DEFENDANT-RESPONDENT AND CROSS-APPELLANT.

The Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Decided May 7, 1987.

Decided May 7, 1987.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Steven J. Phillips and Arnold C. Lakind argued the cause for appellants and cross-respondents (Levy Phillips & Konigsberg and Szaferman, Lakind, Blumstein, Watter & Blader, attorneys; Steven J. Phillips, Arnold C. Lakind and Donald I. Marlin, on the briefs).

James Stewart and H. Curtis Meanor argued the cause for respondent and cross-appellant (Podvey, Sachs, Meanor & Catenacci, attorneys).


The opinion of the Court was delivered by STEIN, Justice.

In this case we consider the application of the New Jersey Tort Claims Act (the Act), N.J.S.A. 59:1-1 to 12-3, to the claims asserted by 339 residents of Jackson Township against that municipality.

The litigation involves claims for damages sustained because plaintiffs' well water was contaminated by toxic pollutants leaching into the Cohansey Aquifer from a landfill established and operated...

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