INDIANA– Attorney General Todd Rokita and the Homeowner Protection team announced a settlement this week with the owners of Willow Brook Gardens Apartments, Wellington Apartments, and Briergate Apartments in Indianapolis after their poor treatment of renters.
Todd Rokita’s team jumped on this issue when it was initially reported in order to improve the rights and living conditions of the tenants.
“Our mission is to protect the rights of all people involved in the housing market, including tenants, homeowners, and aspiring homeowners, by investigating deceptive acts involving mortgage lending violations,” Attorney General Rokita said. “We strive to ensure equal access to housing opportunities for regular, everyday Hoosiers. I’m very proud of my team for the good results they continue to achieve.”
The owners of the apartment complexes agreed to the following:
- A payment of $70,000 in rent credits to current tenant accounts based on a review of health department notices, rental account discrepancies, consumer complaints, and related maintenance requests. Eligible tenants at Willow Brook, Wellington, and Briergate will be separately notified by mail of their eligibility, and 101 eligible tenant accounts will be automatically credited in amounts ranging between $250 and $2,000 within thirty days of entry of the agreement.
- The Attorney General’s Office will allocate $20,000 in additional restitution to complainants following a review of consumer complaints and the alleged harm. Complainants who are eligible for additional restitution will be directly notified by mail of their eligibility.
- The dismissal and expungement of over 150 prior eviction proceedings conducted in Warren and Washington Township Small Claims Courts. Prior tenants of Willow Brook, Wellington, or Briergate do not need to act in order to be eligible for this relief. Cases impacted are listed in Appendix A to the Assurance of Voluntary Compliance.
- A two-year compliance monitoring period in which the Unit will receive ongoing reports related to maintenance and open health department cases.
Litigation against the remaining defendants remains pending. If impacted consumers have questions about the current settlement, they can contact Homeowner Protection Unit at HPU@atg.in.gov.
“We work closely with law enforcement agencies at all levels to ensure justice is served and homeowners and tenants are protected,” Attorney General Rokita said. “I encourage Hoosiers to contact our office about any suspected scams or scam attempts.”
Consumers can file a complaint by visiting indianaconsumer.com or calling 1-800-382-5516.
