TOMS RIVER, N.J. – Jackson Township Mayor Jennifer Kuhn is facing questions after retaining township-paid planning board attorney Robert Shea to represent her private real estate company in an ongoing civil lawsuit filed in Ocean County Superior Court.
Residents on social media in Jackson are questioning the moral and ethical implications behind a sitting mayor, who is a real estate agent with many holdings and interests in the township to utilize the township planning board attorney who is overseeing important matters within the township’s jurisdiction involving real estate.
Others are questioning the ethics of the mayor, comparing the incident to former Jackson Business Administrator Jose Torres’ criminal acts while serving as mayor of Paterson, New Jersey.
In that case, Torres and the three supervisors were convicted after trial and an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau and the New Jersey State Police Official Corruption Bureau into alleged abuses involving the Paterson DPW and improper use of city employees and overtime pay. The defendants are being processed on the charges at the Totowa State Police Station.
Torres was sentenced to prison and barred from ever running for public office after utilzing public resources for his own personal benefit
Court filings show Kuhn’s firm, JLK Sales Group LLC, is suing former agent Jennifer Spano and her current brokerage, Century 21 Action Plus Realty, for alleged breach of contract and unpaid referral commissions tied to Zillow-generated home sales. The suit seeks $6,196 in commissions, plus fees and costs, on transactions involving properties at 9 Greenway Trail in Cream Ridge and 24 Blue Heron Lane in Bayville.
According to the complaint, Spano continued representing clients originally referred through JLK Sales Group after leaving the firm and failed to remit the agreed-upon 40 percent referral fee. The suit asserts that both Spano and her new brokerage acknowledged those obligations in writing before her departure.
A January 5, 2026, letter from Shea’s office to Superior Court Judge John G. Ducey confirmed that Shea had taken over legal representation for Kuhn and her company. Shea requested that a January 13 hearing on a defense motion to dismiss be rescheduled to January 30 to allow additional preparation time. Shea currently serves as Jackson Township’s planning board attorney under a professional services contract funded by the township.
When asked about the matter, Shea said he felt it was a harmless incident between two friends.
“Just trying to mediaate two old friends squabbling with one another,” Shea told Shore News Network. “It’s just a collection action…realtors just fighting one another, typical shit.”
Court records show that Spano and Century 21 Action Plus Realty denied wrongdoing, stating they only agreed to a limited commission split and that Zillow’s referral requirements do not apply to the disputed sales. The case, JLK Sales Group LLC v. Spano et al. (Docket No. OCN-DC-12209-25), remains pending before the Ocean County Superior Court in Toms River.
Feud between Hagan and Kuhn has deep dark history of allegations of embezzlement against Kuhn
Newly obtained records show this is not the first time Kuhn has been involved in a court dispute linked to her real estate ventures. In a separate 2021 Monmouth County lawsuit, Hagan v. Kuhn, REO LLC (Docket No. MON-L-001795-22), Kuhn was sued by former business associate William Hagan following the collapse of a joint venture formed to manage and sell bank-owned properties throughout New Jersey.
Court documents in that case state that in October 2018, Hagan and Kuhn agreed to create a 50-50 partnership, forming REO LLC to handle the management and marketing of investor-owned real estate outside Monmouth and Ocean counties. Both parties were to contribute startup funds and share profits equally. The pair also agreed that commissions earned through the venture would be deposited into the company’s operating account to fund expenses, marketing, and payroll.
The Monmouth County filings show that by early 2019, the company had engaged six licensed agents to manage more than 80 properties statewide. However, by spring 2020, the relationship deteriorated. Hagan alleged that Kuhn, without his consent, directed their brokerage, eXp Realty, to remove him as co-agent of record on all REO transactions, diverting full commissions to herself in violation of their equal ownership agreement.
The complaint further stated that Kuhn stopped depositing her share of commissions into the REO LLC account but continued to make withdrawals for both business and personal expenses, including costs associated with another business entity she owned. Hagan alleged these withdrawals occurred while the company was still operating under the joint venture terms.
Court records show that Kuhn and Hagan also co-owned a second company, ABC LLC, which was formed in October 2019 to lease approximately 8,700 square feet of office space in Asbury Park. The five-year lease totaled $420,793.88, with both signing personal guarantees to cover rent obligations. Each was responsible for half of the monthly rent payments through their respective real estate companies, JLK Sales Group LLC and The William Hagan Group LLC.
By September 2020, the filings state that Kuhn stopped contributing her share of the rent, forcing Hagan to cover full payments to prevent default on the lease. Hagan claimed he was required to advance additional funds into ABC LLC’s account to maintain the lease and keep the company current with its landlord, 910 First Avenue LLC.
The Monmouth County case detailed how both REO LLC and ABC LLC were intertwined with Kuhn’s business operations and her role as an active real estate broker. That earlier dispute concluded before Kuhn’s election as Jackson mayor but involved similar allegations of commission disputes and financial disagreements tied to her company’s operations.
A settlement was apparently reached between Hagan and Kuhn, but the details of that settlement were not publicly released.
Robert Shea’s involvement in the current Ocean County case connects his law practice with Kuhn’s private business interests while he remains under contract with the township to provide legal services as planning board attorney. His correspondence with the court lists R.C. Shea & Associates as counsel for JLK Sales Group and for Kuhn personally.
Court schedules show the defense motion to dismiss, originally set for January 13, was postponed to January 30 at Shea’s request. No rulings have been issued in the matter, and no trial date has been scheduled.
Municipal records confirm that Shea’s current retainer as planning board attorney is paid through Jackson Township’s professional services budget. That same firm has previously represented other municipal boards and departments in Ocean County under similar contracts.
The litigation marks at least the second documented instance in which Kuhn’s real estate business has become the subject of civil court proceedings involving Hagan and former associates or agents. Both cases focus on disputed commission arrangements and allegations related to the handling of business funds.
The Ocean County lawsuit continues as of this week, with filings indicating ongoing discovery and pending motions before Judge Ducey.
- Mayor Jennifer Kuhn’s firm, JLK Sales Group, is suing a former agent for unpaid referral commissions.
- Township-paid attorney Robert Shea is representing Kuhn privately in the civil case.
- Kuhn was previously involved in a 2021 Monmouth County business dispute with William Hagan over a failed real estate partnership.
The next hearing in JLK Sales Group LLC v. Spano et al. is scheduled to take place in Toms River later this month, where the court will review the defense motion to dismiss and related filings concerning the contested commission payments.