Attorney General Ellison investigating Minneapolis landlord that may have filed dozens of baseless evictions
Investigating whether Greenway Apartments and Investment Property Group violated landlord-tenant and civil-rights laws by filing eviction actions for charges tenants did not owe
Cooperating with nonprofit Isuroon that advocates for Somali women and girls
April 25, 2023 (SAINT PAUL) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today that his Office has opened a civil investigation into whether Investment Property Group UT (IPG) has collected or attempted to collect illegal utility charges from their residents at its Greenway Apartments complex in South Minneapolis and whether it sought to evict the largely-Somali tenants based on these faulty charges.
In late 2022, Greenway Apartments notified its tenants that they would be charged for utilities separately from their rent starting in 2023, charges which would be administered by a third-party billing company. Soon after the announcement, tenants found themselves facing exorbitant utility charges, some of which totaled more than $2,000. Last week, Isuroon, a local nonprofit that advocates for Somali women and girls, reported to the Attorney General’s Office that numerous Somali tenants at the Greenway Apartments had already paid thousands of dollars in questionable utility charges out of fear of being evicted, and that others were being evicted for not paying the charges. IPG, doing business as Eat Street Portfolio, LLC, has filed more than 30 eviction actions since February 2023.
After the Attorney General’s Office contacted IPG last week about its concerns that the eviction filings appear unlawful, IPG represented that it will not take any action to remove any Greenway Apartments tenants while the Attorney General’s investigation is pending, even if the court issued a writ of recovery in a case. Minnesota law allows Greenway Apartments tenants to stay in their home during an eviction case unless a Sheriff serves a writ of recovery on the tenant and tells the tenant to leave.
“Safe, stable, affordable housing is a human right,” Attorney General Ellison said. “Minnesota has laws that protect tenants from abusive practices and unjust eviction actions, and I am committed to using the power of my office to enforce them. Companies and rental properties that turn a blind eye to Minnesota’s utility-billing laws and other housing issues need to know we are watching and will act. Keeping people and communities safely housed takes information and action, so I encourage anyone with concerns about these businesses to come forward.”
Attorney General Ellison’s investigation includes what steps Greenway Apartments and IPG have taken, if any, to comply with Minnesota’s landlord-tenant laws as well as whether the associated eviction filings are racially motivated, which the Minnesota Human Rights Act prohibits.
Greenway Apartments tenants who need assistance can contact Isuroon, which may assist tenants with legal services, advice about utility bills, and supportive services. The organization can be reached at (763) 353-9313 or legal@isuroon.org, or in person at 1600 East Lake Street, Suite 1, in Minneapolis, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Attorney General’s Office asks that anyone with information about Greenway Apartments or other IPG locations, especially tenants, also contact the Office. The Office can be reached by calling (651) 296-3353 or by filling out a tenant report form online in English, Spanish, or Somali.
