New Jersey Mall Sued For Selling Clothes On Sundays

The American Dream mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, is facing a lawsuit for allegedly violating Bergen County's blue laws by selling clothes on Sundays. Filed in Bergen County Superior Court, the lawsuit claims that the mall's 120 retail stores have breached these long-standing laws, which restrict the sale of non-essential items on Sundays, hundreds or even thousands of times since January.

Blue laws, which date back to the 1600s, were originally rooted in religious practices to promote a day of rest. While many states have repealed or ignored these laws, Bergen County remains one of the few areas in New Jersey that still enforces them. The county's voters have rejected efforts to repeal the Sunday shopping ban in both 1980 and 1993.

The lawsuit names Ameream, the Delaware LLC that owns the mall, as well as the borough of East Rutherford and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA). The mall's spokesperson stated that the blue laws do not apply to the complex because it is located on state-owned property, where retail sales have occurred on Sundays for decades. The spokesperson called the lawsuit "a meritless political stunt driven by private competitors’ interests."

However, officials in Paramus, a neighboring town, argue that American Dream had previously promised to adhere to the blue laws. Paramus Mayor Christopher DiPiazza and Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco have both expressed disappointment, stating that the mall's decision to operate on Sundays gives it an unfair advantage over other businesses in the county that comply with the law. Tedesco said, "They broke that promise."