A BELOVED mall is caught up in a legal battle over a frustrating ban on Sunday shopping that has historically pushed shoppers out.<\/p>\n
After months of back and forth, the three million-square-foot\u00a0retail<\/a> and entertainment complex has seemingly found a way to bypass the shopping ban.<\/p>\n The American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey<\/a> \u2013 one of the biggest malls<\/a> in the country \u2013 has been grappling with a long-standing ban on Sunday retail sales<\/a> commonly known as \u201cBlue Laws.\u201d<\/p>\n The borough of Paramus\u00a0\u2013 a retail rival to American Dream \u2013 filed a lawsuit<\/a> against the mall in August, alleging that the shopping center<\/a> violated Bergen County\u2019s Blue Laws by permitting over 120 retail tenants to operate on Sundays. <\/p>\n The borough claimed that American Dream has ignored the ban since at least January 2025, with Paramus seeking fines up to $5,000 per violation as well as a formal declaration that the mall\u2019s actions constitute a public nuisance.<\/p>\n Bergen County is the only county left in New Jersey enforcing a Sunday shopping ban, which has religious roots and prevents the sale of apparel, furniture, appliances, and building materials.<\/p>\n RETAIL REDO<\/p>\n 6 malls get makeovers as expert warns shoppers ‘stopped tolerating dull stores’<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/a> SAD SHUTTER<\/p>\n Say goodbye to another retail legend as popular mall location to close for good<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n While the law remains popular among many residents and retailers, others are tired of what they view as an \u201coutdated\u201d law.<\/p>\n The dispute with Paramus \u2013 one of the highest-grossing retail municipalities in the country with over $6 billion in yearly sales \u2013 was triggered when American Dream started to advertise Sunday shopping earlier this year.<\/p>\n By ignoring the shopping ban, the borough fears that the beloved mega-mall will steal billions in potential revenue from businesses in Paramus, which is famous for its strict enforcement of Blue Laws.<\/p>\n American Dream is now getting legal support from its landlord, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, or NJSEA, which owns the land that it is built on, according to NJ.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n NJSEA, a defendant in the lawsuit, has moved to dismiss most of the claims that Paramus filed against American Dream. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n In a court filing earlier this month, NJSEA argued that Paramus failed to follow the necessary legal procedures prior to suing the mall and lacks the power to enforce a countywide law because American Dream is on state land, meaning that the borough cannot enforce county laws outside its own borders.<\/p>\n Because the mall sits on the state-owned Meadowlands complex, NJSEA said that the mall is exempt from local and county ordinances \u2013 similar to how MetLife Stadium can sell merchandise during Giants or Jets games on Sundays.<\/p>\n The authority\u2019s filing also states that Paramus cannot file a lawsuit claiming injury to residents of Bergen County, only to itself, and that the mall\u2019s Sunday operations have no material impact on Paramus\u2019 municipal operations.<\/p>\n \u201cSimply put, Paramus is a legal stranger to the question of whether the Sunday Closing Law applies to the American Dream Mall,\u201d stated NJSEA\u2019s motion to dismiss. <\/p>\n \u201cParamus has no more (or less) interest in the answer to that legal question than any other citizen in New Jersey, or any of the NJSEA also argued that its lease with American Dream does not require the mall to enforce Blue Laws and that its oversight should not be dictated by a neighboring municipality.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Authority should be afforded discretion as to how to best handle its tenant relationship, rather than have that commercial relationship micromanaged by the courts (or a stranger like Paramus),\u201d said the motion to dismiss.<\/p>\n The case is pending in the New Jersey Superior Court with oral arguments regarding the motion to dismiss scheduled for early 2026.<\/p>\n A BELOVED mall is caught up in a legal battle over a frustrating ban on Sunday shopping that has historically pushed shoppers out. After months of back and forth, the three million-square-foot\u00a0retail and entertainment complex has seemingly found a way to bypass the shopping ban. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! 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