Washington AG sues property management company, charges it violated eviction moratorium
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit against a property management corporation, charging it didn't comply with the statewide eviction moratorium in place by issuing pay-or-vacate notices to tenants who did not pay their rent.
The lawsuit -- filed in Pierce County Superior Court -- said the Nevada-based company, JRK Residential, gave pay-or-vacate notices to at least 14 residents of The Boulders at Puget Sound, a Tacoma apartment complex with more than 700 units. The company manages several apartment complexes in Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties and across the country.
“JRK Residential is a large, sophisticated corporation that knew about the Governor’s Emergency Evictions Proclamation – and ignored it anyway,” Ferguson said in a statement. “Their conduct is cruel and unlawful – and we will hold them accountable.”
The lawsuit comes after Gov. Jay Inslee last month issued a statewide eviction moratorium to help the thousands of people lost their jobs and income due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. The moratorium is meant to give tenants some breathing room to prevent them from losing their homes. But under the order, tenants are still expected to pay the rent that is owed and could accrue debt.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/washington-ag-sues-property-management-company-charges-it-violated-eviction-moratorium/ar-BB12WpkW?ocid=hplocalnews
