A lawsuit from the Attorney General's office alleges tenants throughout the metro were forced to live with shoddy repairs and wild animals like bats. HavenBrook Homes is being accused of systematically under repairing the hundreds of properties they own across the metro.
Anna Crockett says she lived at a HavenBrook property for four years.
"When I moved in, there was some work still needed to be done, in the bathroom," she said. "The maintenance man was supposed to come back the next day and do it. That did not get done for about two years."
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In its lawsuit, the Attorney General's office alleges HavenBrook Homes, failed to repair homes; forcing tenants to live with backed up sewers, bats in the walls and windows that wouldn't close.
Attorney General Keith Ellison says HavenBrook Homes lied to tenants.
"Despite representing to tenants, that they provide 24/7, around the clock, same day service for emergency repairs," he said, " in reality, they (HavenBrook Homes) often ignore, or delete urgent repair requests."
The hedge-fund owned company is also being sued for violating lead-paint removal rules, and Gov. Tim Walz executive order limiting evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Assistant Attorney General, Catherine Kelly, is leading the new Special Outreach and Protection Unit.
The Unit is designed to expand the Office’s consumer-outreach and -protection efforts, according to a press release.
"This is not a one-off," said Assistant Attorney General, Catherine Kelly. "This was not a few squeaky wheels complaining about their home. This was routine, it was often systematic."
Kelly appeared appalled when discussing HavenBrook's failure to take safety precautions for lead-based paint. According to the Mayo Clinic, even small amounts of lead exposure can cause serious health problems.
"If they (children) have exposure, and then they don't go to the pediatrician for six months, the lead might have left their bodies already, but they still have the neurological damage," said Assistant Attorney General Kelly.
No word on when the lawsuit is expected to resolve. In a press release, the AG office said HavenBrook has been cited for various health and safety violations in St. Paul and Minneapolis.
“It’s almost impossible to afford your life, and live with dignity, safety, and respect when your landlord puts their profits ahead of your health and safety,” Attorney General Ellison said.