AG Brown sues 5 WA apartments for ‘deceiving’ senior tenants
SEATTLE - Attorney General Nick Brown sues five apartment complexes in Western Washington he alleges "deceived" low-income senior tenants.
Brown filed a complaint Friday in Snohomish County Superior Court against the apartment complexes and property management firm, FPI Management, for deceptive practices against senior tenants.
What we know:
The following Western Washington apartment complexes are part of the lawsuit:
- Vintage at Everett
- Vintage at Mill Creek
- Vintage at Sequim
- Vintage at Tacoma
- Cedar Pointe Apartments
FPI has been allegedly violating the Consumer Protection Act over the last several years, after the management company and the property owners failed to disclose rent increases, apartment unit quality, property safety and the quality of apartment amenities like pools and gyms.
FPI markets its apartments to tenants 55 years and older who are also low-income. Brown claims that the company does not inform future tenants that their rent will be decided on Area Median Income, resulting in seniors paying more than the Social Security or pension incomes they live on.
What they're saying:
"Housing is particularly important for older Washingtonians, and it’s hard for them to move once they’ve signed a lease," said Brown in a statement. "It’s egregious to convince vulnerable populations they’re getting quality living when in reality they are stuck with properties in disrepair that also end up costing more than they expected over time."
Additionally, FPI has allegedly deceived tenants of the quality of their apartment units, building quality and amenity qualities. FPI markets the quality of its buildings as "luxury" and "resort style" but photos of the buildings show broken appliances, mold, leaks and other building damage.
Property damage in Western Washington FPI apartments.
Some amenities the apartments promised to tenants were either nonexistent, shut down or broken.
The apartment complexes also raised concerns around safety, as many did not have anyone monitoring people or vehicles entering and exiting the property, which has led to trespassing, theft and vandalism.
What's next:
Brown's complaint calls for an injunction that prevents FPI and property owners from continuing the alleged unlawful activity. It also seeks a civil penalty of $12,500 for each Consumer Protection Act violation, restitution to impacted tenants and coverage of legal costs.
The Source: Information in this article is from a Washington State Attorney General's Office press release.
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