Does Berrada Owe You Money?
Following settlement, DOJ creates webpage to help current and former tenants.
Berrada Properties apartments on the 5300 block of N. Teutonia Ave. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
Current and past tenants of Berrada Properties may be entitled to a payout or rent assistance.
Berrada Properties, owned by Youssef “Joe” Berrada, settled a lawsuit brought by the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) last year for illegal business practices, agreeing to pay $1.7 million and fund approximately $3.5 million restitution and tenant program.The lawsuit, filed in 2021, alleged Berrada’s company violated numerous state laws ranging from illegal lease agreements to unfair billing practices, fraudulent representations, confiscating personal property, illegal eviction practices and illegally withholding security deposits. The company is the largest private landlord in Wisconsin, with more than 9,000 units in Milwaukee. Many of its tenant have low incomes.
The DOJ announced Thursday it created a webpage for current and former tenants who may have questions about the settlement and what it could mean for them.
The page offers information about the process for receiving restitution or accessing rental assistance and move-in assistance payments, as well as eviction diversion and income-based rental programs Berrada must provide as a result of the settlement. It also provides information for tenants who may wish to file a complaint against Berrada Properties or already have.
The programs are being managed in Milwaukee by Community Advocates and the Milwaukee Rental Housing Resource Center.
“The resolution in this case establishes programs that will provide support to many Berrada Properties tenants,” Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a statement Thursday. “I encourage those who may be eligible to learn more.”
The Berrada properties can be commonly identified for the boulders placed around the perimeter, but he and his company have become well-known for their high eviction rate, at times filing for hundreds of evictions in a single month.
The DOJ brought the suit on behalf of the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, which conducted an extensive investigation into Beradda’s alleged illegal business practices. The claims in the state’s case against Berrada have not been adjudicated and the landlord agreed to the settlement under terms that he would not admit guilt or liability for any of the alleged violations.
“I am proud of the DATCP Consumer Protection team’s work to investigate and refer this case, and thankful for the efforts of the Department of Justice that have brought about a solution for affected tenants,” said DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski. “Illegal business practices that harm consumers are not tolerated in Wisconsin.
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