New Jersey Department of Agriculture

Leah Riewerts

The NJ Department of Agriculture has held my family and property hostage for 12 years through uncontrolled bullying by the State Agricultural Development Committee (SADC). We have violated no laws or regulations, nor signed any agreements nor accepted any monies from the SADC. But Susan Payne, using the Attorney General's Office and an unlimited legal budget, has punished us for 12 years in order to steal our property rights without compensation. Our "crime" is being the neighbors of an SADC-preserved property with a driveway that goes through that property. In the most recent iteration of the SADC's arbitrary and capricious bullying, we were told we can make changes necessary to have firetruck access to keep our house from burning down ONLY if we agree to give up our property rights without compensation and use our driveway easement to manage water flow on our neighbor's farm -- they've already enriched this farmer with almost $3 million, and now they are trying to force us to enrich him more (in addition to our legal fees of $150,000). We can't understand how Ms. Payne is allowed to repeatedly pummel us with this undisciplined and tyrannical behavior, which displays an absolute inability to discern the relative severity and importance of matters and to stop herself from these AG-assisted bullying behaviors. The NJDA and OAG have supported Ms. Payne's actions by giving her unlimited legal resources without any real oversight. Years ago, Fischer's own Board of Directors advised him to get the SADC Director's overreaching behaviors under control (according to a former Board member). Following our complaint, the Comptroller's Office told us they would ask him to provide better oversight. He has obviously failed to do that, showing neither the management nor leadership skills required of his position. (For more details, see our review on the NJ Office of Attorney General website).

Marysol Morales

Awesome