Do requestors have to use the official Open Public Records Act (OPRA) form?

Yes and no. In the case of Renna v. County of Union, 407 NJ.Super. 230,, (App. Div. 2009), the Court said: "We hold that all requests for OPRA records must be in writing; that such requests shall utilize the forms provided by the custodian of the records; however, no custodian shall withhold such records if the written request for such records, not presented on the official form, contains the requisite information prescribed in NJ.S.A. 47:1A-5(f)."

The Court stated that requests should be made on the form provided by the custodian of records, but that, so long as all the required information is present, failure to use the form cannot result in a refusal to withhold the records.

The Court went on to say: "In the event the submitted writing, exclusive of the form, is insufficient for the custodian to fulfill its statutory responsibility, such as the record may not be subject to OPRA or the request does not contain sufficient information, the custodian may require the requester to complete the official form."

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1. I have heard that the Attorney General has specifically exempted attorneys from the Open Public Records Act (OPRA). Is this true, and if so, why are they given special treatment?
2. Is email sent by a municipal employee subject to the Open Public Records Act? If so, what about email sent from his or her home computer?
3. Our municipality is being sued in state court over denial of a variance and using OPRA. Doesn’t he need to use the discovery rules to obtain material concerning litigation as parties have always done?
4. With Open Public Records Act (OPRA), what do I do with attorney-client privilege information, such as with detailed bills, when a request is sent?
5. Is the financial disclosure form that I file under the Local Public Ethics law as a municipal official subject to release under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA)?
6. I am a municipal clerk and a reporter for a regional newspaper recently called and asked for the salaries of all municipal employees. Do I have to release this information?
7. I requested a transcript of a municipality meeting and was told it takes weeks, don't they have to provide this to me within seven business days of my request under the law?
8. A resident who had a variance application denied has asked me for all “similar variance denials” by the municipality. How would I handle this?
9. Do requestors have to use the official Open Public Records Act (OPRA) form?
10. The court awarded substantial attorneys fees to the plaintiff in a settlement with our municipality. Can such fees be ordered in the context of a settlement?