Major Mall in Blue Law Battle

The borough of Paramus, N.J., is suing the American Dream mega-mall for having its stores open on Sundays, despite surrounding Bergen County’s historic blue laws that ban most retail sales on that day, report a variety of news sources, including the Shore News Network.

Blue laws in Bergen County, reportedly in place since the 17th century, prohibit the sale of nonessential goods such as clothing, furniture and appliances on Sundays. Exceptions include groceries, pharmacies and entertainment venues, which is why American Dream’s indoor amusement parks and water features can operate on that day.

However, Paramus officials claim American Dream is going beyond those exemptions by opening more than 120 retail stores every Sunday.

The mall counters that the county rules don’t apply to the mall, since it sits on property owned by the state.

“The lawsuit is a meritless political stunt driven by private competitors’ interests,” the mall operators said in a statement released to the Daily Voice of Mercer County, N.J. “It is well established that Bergen County’s Blue Laws do not apply to property owned by the state—American Dream is on state property where retail sales have occurred on Sundays for decades. We look forward to our day in court.”

Three other malls in Paramus do observe the blue laws, including Westfield Garden State Plaza, Shore News Network noted.

In its suit, Paramus is seeking court-ordered enforcement, along with daily fines that could escalate into thousands of dollars for each Sunday the rules are broken. The town is also asking the court to officially declare the mall’s Sunday retail operations illegal and subject to closure.

No hearing date has been scheduled for the lawsuit, which is the latest salvo in an ongoing debate about the future of Bergen County’s blue laws, which have survived multiple repeal attempts and remain a defining feature of local commerce, Shore News Network reported.