Tenants seek class action status against Heather Hill landlords over 25 months of unlicensed operations

TEMPLE HILLS, MD – Today, Justly Prudent filed a motion for class certification in federal court seeking to represent hundreds of current and former tenants of Heather Hill Apartments who were systematically exploited by landlords who operated the 459-unit complex without required licenses for over two years while collecting millions in unauthorized rent payments.

The motion, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, seeks to certify a class of all persons who have resided at Heather Hill Apartments since April 2022 and paid rent or fees to the defendant property companies. The proposed class would include an estimated 500 to 600 current and former tenants who were victims of what court documents describe as "systematic and pervasive" violations of Maryland rental housing laws.

According to the court filing, Defendants Heather Hill Property Company LLC and Heather Hill Operation Company LLC operated the Temple Hills apartment complex without proper multi-family dwelling licenses from April 2022 through May 2024, and again from August 2024 through January 2025. During these unlicensed periods, the companies continued collecting rent, entering new leases, renewing existing agreements, and filing over 130 failure-to-pay rent actions against tenants—all in direct violation of Maryland law.

The legal action reveals a pattern of egregious misconduct that extends far beyond licensing violations. Tenant declarations filed with the motion paint a disturbing picture of systematic neglect that has created dangerous and uninhabitable conditions throughout the property. Residents report persistent sewage backups flooding their units, widespread water damage causing toxic black mold growth, severe pest infestations including mice and roaches, and non-functioning essential systems that management routinely ignores or provides only temporary fixes.

"These defendants collected millions of dollars in rent while knowing they did not possess a valid rental license to lease the premises," said Attorney Jordan D. Howlette, who represents lead Plaintiff Charlene Hall. "Meanwhile, they allowed hundreds of families to live in conditions that no human being should have to endure—conditions that have caused serious health problems requiring emergency medical treatment."

The health impacts documented in tenant declarations filed with the motion are particularly alarming. Lead Plaintiff Charlene Hall required medical treatment for respiratory problems specifically attributed by physicians to black mold exposure in her unit. Another tenant, Keshia Marshall, was forced to take her two teenage sons to the emergency room due to symptoms from mold exposure, requiring the family to temporarily relocate to avoid the toxic conditions.

Perhaps most troubling, court documents reveal that property management recently deleted maintenance request history logs for tenants throughout the complex, with at least 50 residents reporting that their maintenance histories disappeared without warning. This systematic destruction of evidence suggests a deliberate attempt to conceal the scope of management's failures.

The federal lawsuit has gained significant validation from parallel enforcement actions by the Maryland Attorney General's Office, which filed its own proceedings against the same defendants for many of the same violations. On January 28, 2025, a Prince George's County Circuit Court judge granted a preliminary injunction against the defendants, finding that "immediate, substantial, and irreparable harm to consumers will result" if the defendants' practices continued. The court specifically prohibited the defendants from collecting rent for unlicensed periods and ordered them to provide accounting to all tenants.

The motion for class certification filed by Justly Prudent demonstrates that common questions affecting all tenants predominate over individual issues, making class treatment the most efficient and fair method of resolving the dispute. These common questions include whether defendants operated without required licensing, whether rent collection during unlicensed periods violated Maryland law, and whether the systematic maintenance failures violated consumer protection statutes.

"Individual lawsuits would be economically impractical for most tenants while allowing these corporate defendants to escape accountability for their systematic misconduct," Howlette explained. "Class certification ensures that all affected families can seek justice together and that defendants cannot continue exploiting vulnerable renters with impunity."

The proposed class action represents a significant tenant rights case involving hundreds of Maryland residents who were subjected to unlicensed rental operations combined with systematic habitability violations. The case highlights the critical importance of rental licensing requirements and the severe consequences when corporate landlords prioritize profits over tenant safety and legal compliance.

The case is Charlene Hall v. Heather Hill Property Company LLC, et al. (Case No. 1:25-cv-00238-ABA), filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.