The Washington's Office of the Attorney General filed a lawsuit Monday against the Tacoma's Boulders at Puget Sound apartment complex for violating an eviction moratorium put in place during the coronavirus crisis.
It is the first lawsuit brought by the state to defend Gov. Jay Inslee's order that prohibits landlords from evicting renters for an inability to pay rent and collecting late fees until June 4.
The News Tribune previously reported the Attorney General's office sent the apartment complex and its corporate holders, JRK Residential Group, a cease-and-desist letter on the eviction notices.
Residents of Boulders at Puget Sound, 2602 Westridge Ave., reported receiving several "pay or vacate" notices on their front doors, in email inboxes and through calls.
The state referred to the notices in a Monday press release, stating the company told residents to use the federal stimulus bill to pay rent. Notices mentioned "everyone would have ample cash to pay necessities like rent."
The press release also stated the office believes the apartment complex and its parent company violated the governor's eviction moratorium and the Consumer Protection Act by "engaging in tactics designed to pressure tenants to pay rents that were unreasonable, misleading, misrepresented residents' rights, and were unfair in light of the ongoing public health and economic emergency."
"JRK Residential threatened and harassed several tenants who recently lost their jobs due to the global pandemic," the office said in a statement.
Boulders at Puget Sound did not respond to requests for comment. JRK Residential Group did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
JRK Residential, based in Nevada, is a real estate investment firm and property management company that owns at least four apartment complexes in Pierce, Snohomish and Kitsap counties, and manages property in 19 other states.
In a press release, the Attorney General's Office said residents in three other JRK Residential apartments, Trillium Heights Apartments and Silverdale Ridge in Silverdale and Carroll's Creek Landing in Marysville, have complained of harassing eviction notices.
"JRK Residential is a large, sophisticated corporation that knew about the Governor's Emergency Evictions Proclamation -- and ignored it anyway," Attorney General Bob Ferguson said in the statement. "Their conduct is cruel and unlawful -- and we will hold them accountable."
The lawsuit asks the court to "issue a permanent injunction enjoining and restraining JRK Residential, and its representatives, successors, assigns, officers, agents, servants, employees, and all other persons acting or claiming to act for, on behalf of, or in active concert or participation with JRK Residential, from engaging in the unlawful conduct complained of herein."
It also asks the court to impose a civil penalty of up to $2,000 for each violation of the Consumer Protection Act.
Crystal Martin, her husband and their three children have lived at the apartment complex for more than a year and a half.
With one income, Martin was unable to pay rent this month and said she has been constantly worried with continual notices. The apartment complex tried to contact her job, she said.
The News Tribune received numerous emails from residents after the initial story, stating they were still receiving eviction notices after the cease-and-desist letter was sent. One letter sent to Martin and her family said the eviction notice would be rescinded, but late fees and utility fees needed to be paid.
Since the cease-and-desist letter sent to Boulders at Puget Sound, Martin said she has signed a lease elsewhere and will use her stimulus check to move. She will have to pay rent eventually but wants to set up a payment plan with the complex beforehand.
Martin said she's happy the state has sued.
"I feel like the state stepped up and protected us, because our apartment sure wasn't," Martin said.
For those interested in filing complaints of eviction violations, visit https://www.atg.wa.gov/.
