Bombace v. City of Newark

Plaintiff Linda Bombace’s four children, ages five through sixteen, perished in a tragic fire at their Newark apartment in the early morning of February 26, 1984. The fire was apparently caused by a stove or portable heater that the family used for heat due to the lack of central heat in the apartment.

Plaintiff brought a lawsuit against the landlord and the landlord’s managing agent. She also sued the City of Newark (the City) and its employee under the Tort Claims Act (Act) {N.J.S.A. 59:1-1 to 59:12-3), claiming that the mishandling of violations complaints relating to inoperative smoke…