Camden officials sent a letter this week to 1,300 property owners in a new redevelopment zone, saying they had to keep pace with the latest court ruling on the controversial practice of eminent domain.
But the 26-page letter is so laden in detailed legal terms and foreboding phrases - such as "affect and/or acquire your property against your will" - it is seen by some residents as confirming their fear that the city wants to take all of their homes.
"They're going to come back and get everything," said resident Keith Stewart, 42. "We know they're going to."
In the letter, property owners in the Lanning Square neighborhood are advised to hire an attorney within 45 days to protect their properties - a stark contrast to officials' assertions at public meetings that only three homes would be acquired and subjected to eminent domain.
"This was something they were worried about before, and they were told that they wouldn't have to worry about it," said Benigno Rodriguez, a community leader who has spoken to residents upset about the letter. "They don't have the knowledge to understand the words and the language in the letter. It confuses and distresses a lot of people."
The city, which has faced lawsuits over procedural problems with its redevelopment plans in the past, said it has no interest in taking more homes. Officials say they were abiding by an appellate court ruling in February that called for increased neighborhood notification about possible eminent domain.
"It's basically putting everyone on notice that this is a redevelopment area," said Luis Pastoriza, the city clerk who signed the letter. "I readily admit the legalese might be confusing. But, unfortunately, that's the prescribed language."
The New Jersey Public Advocate, Ronald Chen, disagreed, saying the city did not have to send the letter.
What the letter does, he said, is limit the legal options for residents to sue if their homes are added to the acquisition list at some point over the 25-year plan.
"If they're saying they only want to take three houses, then they really shouldn't care," Chen said. "The [city] is by their actions holding open the possibility that they still might take their property. . . .If they don't intend on taking the properties, withdraw that notice."
On Tuesday, City Council unanimously approved the redevelopment plan, which would bring 480 new and rehabilitated homes to the neighborhood next to Cooper University Hospital and a new health campus and retail strip to Broadway.
