04/14/2026
🚨 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 🚨
To the Residents of the City of North Wildwood and Surrounding Towns:
As you are aware, I, Ryan Fitzpatrick,
am the owner 301 New York Avenue, formerly the North Shore Bar & Kitchen.
I am currently engaged in litigation with the City of North Wildwood and
City Official Daniel Speigel as well as
on-going litigation with
Plaza “Construction”, Ruben Plaza,
and Joseph Affet III
My complaint against the City of North Wildwood, as well as Construction Official Daniel Speigel, was filed on December 9, 2025 (attached).
https://pdflink.to/north_shore_bar_kitchen_v_city_of_north_wildwood_and_daniel_speigel/
Four months have now passed, and counsel for the City of North Wildwood and Mr. Speigel have yet to file a response to my formal complaint, which was returnable on February 6, 2026. Mr. Speigel and the City are in default of their obligation to respond.
As a result, I have since been awarded a default judgment against both the
City of North Wildwood and Mr. Speigel personally, and am seeking post judgment discovery documents from the City of North Wildwood and Mr. Speigel, respectively -including asset information for both the City of North Wildwood and Mr. Speigel’s financial holdings. The returnable date for discovery regarding the City of North Wildwood’s and Mr. Speigel’s financial holdings was April 13, 2026, as a result the City of North Wildwood is now in default of that obligation. We have engaged opposing counsel this morning in a good faith effort to obtain the documents we are entitled to. If those documents are not produced in a reasonable and timely manner we will be filing a motion for contempt.
After a long-awaited review of the complaint filed on my behalf, along with all of its supporting exhibits, the City of North Wildwood and Daniel Speigel, through their counsel, engaged my counsel in an effort to settle the matter, forgoing trial proceedings and further public scrutiny.
In January 2026 ,the City requested my demand for settlement, which was provided shortly thereafter. Since then, we have been engaged in purported settlement discussions at the city’s request-My demand for settlement was backed by third party expert financial reports as well as business tax returns demonstrating millions of dollars in losses in relation to the matters being litigated. All tax returns and financial reports were provided to the City’s counsel to support the monetary demand.
A short time after reviewing my demand for settlement and supporting documentation, the City once again engaged my counsel—not with a counteroffer to the monetary settlement demand, but rather with a counterproposal regarding the structure of the monetary settlement. We reiterated to opposing counsel that my position on the monetary demand is non-negotiable and not open for discussion but we agreed to review any proposed alternative structure, provided that we were afforded the opportunity to review specifically requested documentation.
The documentation we requested, for reasons unknown to us, was never provided. Instead, what was provided were numerous alternatives regarding the structure of the settlement.
Over the course of the last two months, we have had near daily communication with the City’s attorney, and our position remains the same. I am extremely confident in both the evidence and my position in this matter. The City cannot dispute the exhibits that support the complaint, and I am fully prepared to
continue bringing additional evidence forward and taking this matter as far as the City forces it to go. I have nothing more to lose by continuing to press forward—the City does.
On the other hand, as this matter progresses toward trial, the City of North Wildwood will only become more exposed. As facts emerge and truths come to light, the City will be placed in an increasingly vulnerable position with respect to additional lawsuits.
Mr. Speigel is personally named in this complaint and faces the same reality—only downside—as evidenced by me now holding lien positions on his personal real estate assets.
The alternative is straightforward:
The City of North Wildwood concedes that I was wronged, accepts responsibility, and acknowledges that its actions have cost me millions of dollars in documented revenue, millions of dollars in documented net profits, my family’s business, and the brand I built.
As a direct result, I am now faced with the reality of potentially having to sell the North Shore property for pennies on the dollar while undertaking the daunting task of rebuilding the financial future my wife and I worked so tirelessly to create. This was not simply a business—it was intended to be part of our family legacy, which cannot possibly be quantified in dollars.
As a result of the City of North Wildwood’s request for a settlement demand, followed by months of proposed alternative structures and indecision, it is now my intention to move aggressively forward in enforcing my legal rights.
While navigating the litigation process against Plaza “Construction”,
Ruben Plaza, Joseph Affet III, the City of North Wildwood, and City Official-
Daniel Speigel, my counsel and I have determined—based on the facts of this case, as well as the personal, business and political relationships intertwined with City Officials, Attorney’s, Judge’s and City Solicitors within the City of North Wildwood and the County of
Cape May tasked with adjudicating these matters—that it is both necessary and appropriate to seek the recusal of the Honorable Judge Pickering (attached) from both of the formal complaints filed on my behalf.
https://online.fliphtml5.com/zhsjq/Recusal-Notice/
https://online.fliphtml5.com/zhsjq/Recusal-Motion/
This decision is not made lightly, nor is it intended to suggest any wrongdoing. Rather, it reflects the serious and unavoidable concerns created by the circumstances surrounding these cases where such interconnected relationships exist, even the appearance of potential influence must be addressed proactively to ensure that these proceedings remain beyond reproach.
This step is being taken to safeguard the integrity of the judicial process and to reinforce public confidence that justice will be administered fairly, transparently, and without influence.
We are also in the process of seeking a transfer of the venue for the case against the City of North Wildwood. Again, given the close personal, business, political and financial ties that exist in Cape May County and specifically in North Wildwood, we believe that the only way to obtain justice and for the public to be convinced that justice has been served is to transfer the case outside of the Cape May County jurisdiction. Once again, this is not meant to imply wrong-doing -but only to make sure that any verdict is free from even the appearance of impropriety.
Cape May County Commissioner Patrick Rosenello
Cape May County Prosecuter's office
We will continue to keep the public updated on the status of this matter and its enforcement.
Sincerely,
Ryan M. Fitzpatrick
