A metal extension on top of a concrete wall raised the barrier from six feet to 10 feet on Tony Robbins’ property, seen from neighbor Louis Capano Jr.’s home. That exceeded the town’s height limit. Robbins was allowed to keep a security hedge and opaque gate. Photo provided
By John Pacenti
Self-help author Tony Robbins stresses the importance of taking action to achieve desired outcomes. Raise your standards, he says, to reach goals.
Well, when it came to his Manalapan oceanfront house in the 700 block of South Ocean Boulevard, Robbins indeed did raise standards — in this case, a 10-foot wall between him and his not-so-happy neighbor. He also exceeded permissible heights on a side hedge from the ocean wall and installed a new opaque security gate — all without permitting.
This asking for forgiveness rather than permission worked when it came to the hedge and the gate, but not so much with the wall. The Town Commission at its May 20 meeting told Robbins either to remove the wall or work it out with his neighbor, Louis Capano Jr.
Robbins, a Manalapan resident since 2013, has sold over 15 million books and 50 million audio programs worldwide. But since the pandemic, his reach on the internet and social media has been extraordinary.
Mark Timm, the deputy director of field operations for Robbins’ security detail, told commissioners that recently, 800,000 people tuned in for an internet event hosted by Robbins.
Furthermore, his spouse — Bonnie Sage Humphrey Robbins — has developed a following and recently had 400,000 women virtually attend an event she was hosting, Timm said.
One effect is desperate fans. “They think that the Robbinses are their last chance to fix something that’s wrong in their lives,” Timm said.
One of those fans showed up May 17 at the gate, demanding to speak to Robbins. Someone also recently flew from Germany unannounced, looking for an audience with the motivational speaker. The security measures also were taken, Timm said, because the Robbinses have a small child who has no public photographs of her published.
“From a protective detail standpoint, if people can’t see into the property, we firmly believe that is the best way to deter these unwanted visitations, as we’ll call them,” he said.
The wall was extended from a six-foot concrete barrier between the properties, estate manager Taylor Jantz said, because a hedge would not grow in that spot due to the salt air.
Capano said a few years ago that the Robbinses put in a chain-link fence — again for security — on Capano’s side of the property. After he complained, the power couple removed the fence.
“Unfortunately, I have to be here, and it’s really kind of absurd, but the Robbinses have a habit of doing things that they just want to do,” Capano said.
He said the metal wall installed about three months ago with a plastic hedge is “ridiculous. ... I don’t see how it could possibly help their security issues, if they have any, because someone to go over the wall would have to come onto my property,” Capano said.
He said the issue isn’t security but that one of his upper-floor bedrooms looks out over the Robbinses’ property.
As for the hedge, the town has restricted heights to six feet so hedges do not impede the view of neighbors, Capano said. “People who spend a lot of money to live on the ocean, can look at the ocean, not just in a tunnel vision on an angle,” he said.
Jantz said she had just come aboard as the new estate manager and wanted to make sure the Robbinses’ home was in compliance by seeking variances after the fact.
Commissioner David Knobel said he understood the hardship in regards to paparazzi and supported variances on the gate and the hedge — but not the wall. He said there is no hardship because of a “neighbor looking into a property.”
The commission agreed, but in denying the variance for the wall, Mayor John Deese expressed hope that the two neighbors could find a solution.
“We are more than happy to work with the Robbinses,” Town Manager Eric Marmer said.
Jantz said, “The Robbinses have not been in communication with our northward neighbor, and they would love to connect with said neighbor on their opinion, or what would please them visually, you know, moving forward.”
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