Judge: Imam who plans mosque near ground zero owes $12,960 for officer at his NJ building

Judge: NY imam must pay for officer at NJ building

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — A judge says an imam who plans to build a mosque near ground zero must reimburse a New Jersey city that stationed a police officer outside a building he owns while it had a faulty fire alarm.

The state Superior Court judge also ruled Thursday the October rent for Feisal Abdul Rauf’s Union City building must be held in escrow until Oct. 19, when the case returns to court.

The Jersey Journal reports Rauf has until Oct. 9 to eliminate bedbugs and fix other problems Union City says it found at the building. City officials say the fire alarm is fixed.

The judge says Rauf owes $12,960 the city spent for the officer’s nearly 10-day fire watch this month.

The city says it’s suing Rauf for not addressing tenant complaints since 1996.

Rauf’s attorney says the complaints were addressed in 2007.

Information from: The Jersey Journal, www.nj.com/jjournal