The owner and operator of the American Dream Mall are asking a judge to dismiss Paramus’ lawsuit that seeks to shut down Sunday retail sales at the sprawling Bergen County complex (motion attached at the bottom of this report).
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which owns the mall property, and Ameream, LLC, which operates the American Dream Mall, both filed motions on Monday, Dec. 22, asking the Superior Court in Bergen County to throw out the case, court filings show. The filings argue that Paramus’ claims do not hold up legally and should be dismissed before the case moves forward. The state agency is specifically asking the judge to permanently dismiss several counts of the lawsuit, meaning those claims could not be refiled.
Paramus first filed the lawsuit on Aug. 25, alleging that more than 120 retail stores inside the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford have been illegally operating on Sundays in violation of Bergen County’s long-standing Blue Laws, according to the complaint. Those laws prohibit the sale of certain retail goods on Sundays in counties where voters have approved the restrictions. Bergen County voters did so in a 1980 referendum, according to the lawsuit, and the rules have remained in place ever since…