Jackson mayor hires township planning board attorney to represent her business in real estate commission lawsuit — A court room gavel. © BS Photos. Stock Photo.

TOMS RIVER, N.J. – Jackson Township Mayor Jennifer Kuhn has retained prominent local attorney and current Jackson Planning Board attorney Robert Shea to represent her real estate company in a pending Ocean County civil lawsuit involving unpaid commissions tied to Zillow real estate referrals from a former agent.

Court filings show that Kuhn’s firm, JLK Sales Group, is suing former agent Jennifer Spano and her current brokerage, Century 21 Action Plus Realty, alleging breach of contract and nonpayment of referral fees on multiple home sales initiated while Spano was still affiliated with Kuhn’s brokerage.

According to documents filed with the Ocean County Superior Court, JLK Sales Group claims Spano continued working with at least two clients after leaving the firm and failed to remit the agreed-upon 40 percent referral commission.

The disputed transactions involved properties at 9 Greenway Trail in Cream Ridge and 24 Blue Heron Lane in Bayville, both of which were later sold.

In the complaint, Kuhn’s firm asserts that Spano’s Zillow-generated leads were subject to ongoing referral obligations and that both Spano and her new brokerage acknowledged the agreements in writing. JLK Sales Group estimates it is owed $6,196, plus additional fees and costs.

Now the former mayor of Brick Township is involved, this time as a judge.

A January 5, 2026, letter from Shea’s law office to Superior Court Judge John G. Ducey confirms he has taken over representation of Kuhn and JLK Sales Group. Shea requested that the scheduled January 13 motion to dismiss filed by the defendants be postponed to January 30, citing the need for additional preparation time.

Court records indicate that Spano and her new brokerage have denied wrongdoing, claiming they only agreed to a limited commission split and that Zillow’s referral requirements do not apply.

The case, Kuhn/JLK Sales Group v. Spano et al. (Docket No. OCN-DC-12209-25), remains pending before the Ocean County Superior Court in Toms River.

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