in Newswire Published on December 21, 2021

Philadelphia Apartment Complex Unlicensed to Collect Rent in Recent Periods, Class Action Claims

Barge et al. v. Eastwick Joint Venture, LLC et al.

Filed: December 17, 2021 ◆§ 211201091

A class action alleges a Philadelphia apartment complex was not properly licensed or certified by the city to collect rent during various periods within the last four years.

Defendant(s)

Eastwick Joint Venture, LLC Eastwick Joint Venture II, LLC Eastwick Joint Venture III, LLC AJH Management, LLC Korman Residential Properties, Inc. International City Holdings, LLC BEK Management, Inc.

Law(s)

Pennsylvania Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law

State(s)

Pennsylvania

Categories

Real Estate Fraud

Three tenants allege in a proposed class action that a Philadelphia apartment complex was not properly licensed or certified by the city to collect rent during various periods within the last four years.

The 17-page lawsuit out of Philadelphia County alleges that owners and operators of the complex at 8500 Lindbergh Boulevard were without a valid rental license from the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections (PLI) from August 16 to 18, 2017; August 16, 2019 through November 19, 2020; and August 16 to 21, 2021.

According to the suit, Section 9-3902 of the Philadelphia Code requires that all rental properties be licensed by the PLI and states that no person shall collect rent “. . . unless a valid rental license has been issued for the property.”

“Pursuant to the Philadelphia Code, Defendants were prohibited from collecting rent or other sums from Plaintiffs for any period in which the Property was not validly licensed,” the complaint alleges.

Named as defendants in the suit are Eastwick Joint Venture, AJH Management, Korman Residential Properties, International City Holdings and BEK Management.

The lawsuit describes the defendants as “interrelated entities” who operate under various names, addresses and principal-agent relationships “created to mislead and confuse tenants,” as to the identity of the actual landlord of the apartment complex. Per the case, the Eastwick entities purchased the property in or around February 1975 and have been the record owner of the complex since then. Korman and BEK were owners and/or managers of the property within the last six years, the suit claims.

“As a result of the misconduct of Defendants described above, Plaintiffs have suffered, and will continue to suffer harms, including actual and consequential damages, in the form of Rents unlawfully collected by Defendants,” the filing reads.

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