CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED BY TENANTS OF “LUXURY” APARTMENTS OVERLOOKING THE COURTHOUSE WHO HAD NO HEAT OR AIR CONDITIONING FOR MONTHS AT A TIME
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 26, 2018
CONTACT: Shanta Alexidor, (410) 539-6500, Shanta.Alexidor@murphyfalcon.com
Residents and commercial tenants of The Munsey Building located in Downtown Baltimore contend that their landlord and management company misled prospective and current tenants about the “luxury” apartments that lacked heat and air conditioning for months at a time.
Baltimore, MD (January 26, 2018)— Murphy, Falcon & Murphy and the Law Offices of Eldridge, Nachtman & Crandell announced that yesterday they filed a class action lawsuit in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City on behalf of the residents and commercial tenants of the Munsey Building who have been forced to endure living and working in their units with a heating system that repeatedly fails, including as recently as twice in the past six weeks, and with air conditioning that has not functioned properly in each of the past three summers. In addition, the Plaintiffs claim that Defendants are in violation of the Baltimore City Housing Code while they and other tenants have been forced to endure raw sewage back-ups, mold in individual apartments due to leaking HVAC pipes and valves, inoperable locks on windows and doors, infestations of bugs, other insects and mice, water infiltration, and repair work which generates noxious fumes that permeate through the air ducts, floors, and ceilings causing some residents to suffer from sinus headaches, migraines, burning and itching eyes, vomiting, upset stomach and general pain and discomfort.
The lawsuit further alleges that Defendants intentionally misled prospective tenants into believing they were moving into a luxury apartment building that did not suffer from these problems, however, once their leases were signed and they moved in, problems began to mount, and their requests for repairs were repeatedly ignored. The Munsey Building, located on the corner of North Calvert and East Fayette in Downtown Baltimore across the street from the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, is an 18-story building containing 146 residential and 2 commercial units.
The Munsey’s Delaware based owner and operator, L3C Investors Baltimore US LLC, and its Michigan based property management company, Village Green Management Company LLC, are named as Defendants in the lawsuit. Two individuals directly involved in managing and leasing the apartments and commercial spaces at the Munsey were also named as Defendants. Meanwhile, one of the Defendant’s former employees with intimate knowledge of the Munsey’s operations has produced a number of documents to Plaintiffs’ attorneys who are holding these documents pending a judicial determination on their use.
Nick Szokoly, Partner at Murphy, Falcon & Murphy, said today, “The owners and operators didn’t keep the promises they made to the tenants of the Munsey Building. The landlords knew
when they advertised these units as luxury apartments that the building’s heat and air conditioning broke every year for months at a time but they also knew that once you sign the lease and move in, you’re stuck. This kind of deceptive and unfair practice is precisely why Maryland has a consumer protection Act.” Szokoly added, “The families living at the Munsey pay their hard-earned money every month for a home, but, despite collecting millions of dollars in rent, the out-of-state landlords ignored the problems and misled the tenants with meaningless promises that the issues would be fixed.”
Szokoly added, “The Defendants knowingly placed the tenants at the Munsey in units which were an icebox in the winter and a sauna in the summer. Ultimately, money is more important to these landlords than the safety and well-being of these families. We will continue working until the landlords perform the necessary maintenance and repairs to the building and these families receive the compensation they deserve.”
About Murphy, Falcon & Murphy, P.A.
Murphy, Falcon & Murphy, P.A. is a Baltimore-based law firm which specializes in complex civil, criminal and civil rights litigation. Our powerhouse legal team has a history of unrelenting dedication to its clients in Baltimore and across the country. Our team of seasoned trial lawyers have extensive experience in a wide variety of cases with success rates that dwarf national averages and are dedicated to providing smart strategies and creative approaches to complex litigation. Our team is driven and strategy-focused— characteristics that have helped us secure more than $700 million in verdicts and settlements, and our attorneys have won some of the largest verdicts in high-profile, high-stakes cases in some of the toughest jurisdictions around the country. The firm has a long history of experience in class actions including the Flint, Michigan water crisis, the Equifax Data Breach and many others. Learn more at www.murphyfalcon.com.
*Each case is different. Past success does not guarantee a favorable result in any future case.
About the Law Offices of Eldridge, Nachtman, & Crandell, LLC
The Law Offices of Eldridge, Nachtman, & Crandell, LLC is a Baltimore-based law firm focused on helping people. Our goal is to help people injured by the negligence of others, charged with a crime, starting and running a business, or realizing the dream of being an immigrant to this country. It’s why we get out of bed in the morning and what keeps their attorneys awake at night worrying about our clients. Learn more at www.enlawyers.com.
*Each case is different. Past success does not guarantee a favorable result in any future case.