Tiny part of landlord law could make lawyers wary of helping out, Low-income households in Milwaukee squeezed by rents, Judge strips Milwaukee landlord Elijah Rashaed's control over his central city properties, Mystery buyer rejected for notorious landlord's properties but judge grants more tim. Meaning of Youssef. Its in such a striking contrast to the defendants of these cases, where I know their names and their addresses but I cant say much about who is evicting them said Hepburn, of the Eviction Lab. Taxpayers paid Berrada Properties nearly $7 million as state DOJ prepared to sue the landlord giant. After Berrada filed eviction notices on 330 tenants, the protest group waged a social media campaign against him, as well as phone blasts and pickets at his corporate office. Berrada moved to Milwaukee in the 1986-'87 school yearand attended South Milwaukee High School as a foreign exchange student. TheBerradafilings in 2017included 265 so-called serial filings that is, suits filed against the same person on multiple occasions, the Journal Sentinel found. Sometimes the company sends written notices stating work needs to be done and, In order to effectively perform our work, we are asking that your unit be vacated as soon as possible. "Over the past two years a lot of work been done with Berrada Properties," said Andi Elliott, Community Advocates chief executive officer. "He just seems to be going around buying a ton of stuff and a ton of boulders," Rodriguez said. "We respond to every maintenance issue, we have a good relationship with the Department of Neighborhood Services … the commissioner, he gives us good grades,"Berradatold aldermen. Everyone just wants a roof over their head, somewhere they can come inside and deal with life.. Phoenix and Houston are the cities with the second and third highest numbers of evictions during the pandemic, according to Princetons Eviction Lab. "I was in the shower and they just walked into my apartment without knocking," Summit said. Mequon home of Youssef Berrada, 27 de julho de 2022 According to a recent report by Jobs With Justice and PESP, 198 corporate landlords got almost $320 million in federal COVID subsidies and then went on to file at least 5,381 evictions between March 16 and October 13th. These court fees related to eviction, based upon the criminal complaint, are just one layer in a stew of penalties that keep a tenant indebted to Berrada, who then extracts even more money from the tenant on top of the monthly rent. We're pretty sure you're a member and you're definitely not signed in. The complaint details a record of the company failing to inform tenants of upcoming work, illegally entering their apartments without notice and conducting renovations in a manner that creates inhospitable living conditions. He earned the money being a professional Arabist. We had some really thoughtful discussion that I think surprised everyone who expected the other side to be the devil, said Foley. These unexplained front door replacements are common and if tenants are not home when it occurs, the company makes little to no effort to ensure will still have access to the apartment after the door, complete with a new lock, is replaced. If the unit did have an appliance, and it needed fixing, someone from the company would simply show up and remove it from the building. The company has since paid her the $3,400. Theyre sitting on huge amounts of cash like vultures, waiting for the bottom to fall out so they can scoop up even more, said Scott Klinger, a Senior Equitable Development Specialist at Jobs with Justice. Even before the pandemic, the relationship between landlords and tenants could be complicated. "It's using the court system as a mode of collection," said Karen Dardy, chief staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee. Eight million Americans have entered poverty during the pandemic. Between 2011 and 2013, private equity firms, buoyed by huge subsidies, snapped up about 350,000 homes from banks. They liked the neighborhood, which gave the couple good access to transportation to get to their jobs. For example: Repeat actions:Berrada entities repeatedly file eviction actions against the same tenant, often ending each case with an agreement, orstipulation, demanding the tenant pay back rent, court costsand late payment fines. Youssef Berrada is a Manager at PwC based in London . Hes already bought up everything in Milwaukee, she said. Become a member for $9/month. The director address is 1339 Meadowlands Dr. E, Unit #1111, Nepean, ON K2E 7B4, Canada. Milwaukee landlord Youssef Berrada and his firm charged with 15 violations of state law. Its also been good for business: when tenants get money, Berrada also gets money. Inspectors checked the building last week and all of the ordered repairs had been made, a DNS spokesperson said. Search our database of over 100 million company and executive profiles. An additional$5.4 million was paid to Berrada Properties through programs administered by Community Advocates. Its like you just dont care about people, she said. "I feel we have a good, over 95% approval rate," he said, referring to audit by an unnamed company Berradasaid had reviewed his operations. On one day alone Jan. 30, 2017 Berradacompanies filed 99 eviction actions. However, he worries about the future of evictions, especially for those most vulnerable. Nov 17th, 2021 by Graham Kilmer. Berrada has become infamous in Milwaukee for the number and frequency of evictions filed by his company. The state Department of Justice this month slapped Berrada and hisBerrada Properties Management Inc. with a 14-count civil enforcement complaint charging the Mequon millionaire with a variety of violations of the landlord-tenant law. Get Directions. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1597238472710-0'); }); In Georgias DeKalb County, where Atlanta is located, corporate landlords were responsible for 82% of the 764 evictions during a single week last December; 68% of the 1,341 evictions in Arizonas Maricopa County, where Phoenix is located; and 68% of the 964 evictions in Texass Harris County, where Houston is located. Berrada, who moved to Milwaukee at age 16 as a foreign exchange student at South Milwaukee High School, owns close to 8,000 properties in Milwaukee, Racine, St. Francis and West Allis. Goldberger told the Journal Sentinelthe tenants who caused the damage to the property have been "removed" and Berrada Properties is replacing all exterior doors with "security enhanced doors.". Or swing pastRoom 400 of the Milwaukee County Courthouse on just about any afternoon, whereBerrada property managers negotiate in the hallway with tenants facing eviction. The birthplace of Michael Youssef is Egypt. Joe Berrada overall profits are growing on a daily basis, and he is becoming more popular on the sidelines. He is married. The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) is bringing a major lawsuit against a notorious Milwaukee landlord and his property management company. Watch a year of Milwaukee evictions unfold, Poor? It did. "Rent assistance in itsinitial form was primarily meant to keep tenantsgoing and as alifeline to the landlords,"said Rep. Evan Goyke, a Democrat whose Milwaukee district includes numerous Berrada properties. Two days later, an email landed in her inbox: Berrada wanted to meet. His attorney, Joe Goldberger, would only answer questions by email and began by arguing Berrada should not be the subject of any story. "When you have that type of concentration, it impacts the quality of the apartments because the tenants' choices are limited. What if my kids are taken from me? Madison, WI 53707-7857 Phone: (608) 266-1221. Wisconsins only lasted for the first 60 days of the pandemic and when it expired, courts faced an onslaught of evictions. The DOJ charges that when tenants complain they are met with indifference or silence, and sometimes, they are harassed and encouraged to leave.. Donald Trump's election may have shocked the nation, but it was no surprise . The STANDS4 Network. A few monthsafter Ernestine Young returned home from a hospital stay last year, she found herself on the basementstairs of her apartment building sobbing. Research by the Private Equity Stakeholders Project (PESP), a research and advocacy organization, has tracked nearly 50,000 evictions by corporate landlords in select counties in six states since the beginning of September, and found that corporate landlords are responsible for the majority, and sometimes overwhelming majority, of evictions in some counties. | | : 12 - : 111 : 1,795 - : Joseph. Youre dealing with a community that is poor and has low wages. These fees are sometimes charged to a tenant before an eviction has even been filed, and for more than the actual cost of processing the eviction. I wont lie to you and say my fear aint there still. "'Nobody had the intention of allowing it to be used for the enrichmentof people who were not following the law," Goyke said. Before the eviction filing, the tenant has the right to cure the issue. When adjusted for inflation, a 2018 hourly wage has about the same purchasing power as it did in 1978. One of them is the right to a habitable property. Clarks eviction came when she was in between jobs. Follow him on Twitter at @cspivakorFacebook at facebook.com/cary.spivak. The rent assistance funds flow from the federal government to the state to nonprofit organizations that distribute the money. . In 2018, according to the complaint, another tenant, who has paraplegia and uses a wheelchair, found the carpeting in the hallway outside his apartment ripped up, leaving a strip of tacks at his threshold. Now, coincidentally, his number of eviction have declined since he started collecting seven million dollars in rental assistance. Toliver was sued for eviction last year. It was breathtaking and appalling and like, holy cow, things are out of control.. While not well known throughout the city, Berrada's presence can befeltin some neighborhoods, especially on the west and north sides just look for the ubiquitous boulders. In April 2020, the company notified all the tenants at one apartment building they would be replacing every front door in the building despite the fact the existing doors were still functional, according to the complaint. The civil complaints allegations paint a picture of a landlord and his rental company who use a web of fees and illegal practices to extract money out of tenants on top of their rent; torment renters with dangerous, sometimes needless renovations; profit from the evictions process; and when its expedient, even if the rent is paid in full, simply push tenants out of their homes. Help assure the future of citys fastest growing publication. That was one of a dozen days last year whenBerradacompanies filed at least 40 evictions. In all, his companies own 292 properties with more than 3,600 units in the city. 2023 Milwaukee Public Media is a service of UW-Milwaukee's College of Letters & Science, PublishedDecember 17, 2021 at 9:46 AM CST. In March, building inspectors citedthe Berrada companythat owns the propertyfor14 violations,including missing or broken doors, holes in the walls, missing fire extinguishersand roaches. Young said that during the rehab work, the front door of her apartment was barricaded for a day, trapping her inside. The fact that the industry is so difficult to track is also a huge part of why there is so little accountability for corporations who are evicting people in the middle of a pandemic, despite the CDC moratorium. Youssef Kerkour is a most popular Moroccan Actor. Truly, an eviction benefits neither the landlord nor the tenant, and BPM always attempts to find a solution to the situation before filing an eviction.. Berrada has long been synonymous with evictions in Milwaukee. Ramy Youssef was born in New York City, New York in March 1991. We can solve Milwaukee's noncompetitive housing market for the poor. ", Still, Goyke added, landlords who receive taxpayer-fund rent assistance payments"should be held accountable to a certain standard. At nearly two dozen properties, inspectors found 20-plus violations each; four had more than 40 violations. ", In a statement issued through a Madison public relations firm, a Berrada attorneycalled the DOJ investigation a "fishing expedition" that makes itmore difficult for "Mr. Berrada to provide high-quality, affordable housing.". "The construction that is occurring in her apartment has significantly affected her health,"her physician, Brian Hilgeman, wrote in a 2017 letter to help Young break her lease. "SDCs rent assistance process is the same for every landlord and tenant," the nonprofit said in an email. But, after a year or so, conditions declined. Records show Berradaor companies linked to him paid more than $17 million to buy homes and a luxury condoinMaui;Boca Roton, Fla.;Scottsdale,Ariz.;Chicago;San Diego and near Las Vegas. So, if someone is having an issue with their landlord, there are a lot of resources available," says Ramos. Search our database of over 100 million company and executive profiles. The corporation name 6642594 CANADA INC.. Business Informatoin. Last updated on November 18th, 2021 at 02:42 pmWisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul today announced the filing of a civil law enforcement action against Youssef (Joe) Berrada and his property . Wisconsin once had a 'model' voting rights program for people with disabilities. At the same time, wages have stagnated dramatically. Is Michael Youssef Married? The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that while the state DOJ was preparing this case, Berrada collected nearly seven million dollars in rental assistance. Catching up on that much back rent is going to be borderline impossible without emergency rental assistance.. Over the summer, the group targeted Youssef "Joe" Berrada, who owns more than 8,000 housing units, many in low-income neighborhoods. Ouissam Youssef, a 2004 graduate from Montreal's Concordia University with a Bachelors Degree in Computer Engineering, has been creating and building businesses since the age of 15. "The tenants who live in our properties deserve the same support as any other tenant in the pandemic, and to suggest that they dont because of the Department of Justices false and unfounded allegations is callous and disrespectful to the families who we serve," the statement said. We have added controversies in this section. Or, the lease would include an illegal provision, according to the DOJ, that purports to waive the landlords duty to maintain and repair appliances included within the apartment.. Its just a wild historical aberration Weve never seen anything like it before, says Peter Hepburn, an Association Professional Specialist at the Eviction Lab. In the Covid era, housing courts across the country went virtual. Foleys organization and another housing organization called Community Advocates have also worked with Berrada to obtain emergency rental assistance from government coffers. ", Problematic leases: The state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection has issued five warning letters since 2015questioning whether Berrada companies were violating statelandlord-tenant law. 1 . These moratoriums, however, were temporary. During a brief discussion a couple of years ago, Bauman said, Berrada told him his family was involved in"buying, rehabbing and reselling heavy construction equipment" in Morocco and that he had some business interests in Europe. Youssef. LIVE THANK YOU: Subscribers' support makes this work possible. I think the pandemic makes it clear we have to go at this differently, this crisis makes it so glaringly apparently that the current formula does not work. "He owns everything here. In 2015, Stephen Toliver was pleased to land an apartment in a newly purchasedBerradaproperty on West Silver Spring Drive. Minimum Opening Deposit $250,000. The phone number for Youssef is (480) 588-7753 (Pac West Telecomm Im like, oh my god, there are so many people. They already allowed him to buy up all this property., Copyright 2021 Insider Inc. Todos los derechos reservados. In 1990,he graduated from Marquette University with a degree in engineering. Youssef "Joe" Berrada, a native of Morocco who lives in $1.6 million Mequon mansion, has quickly and quietly become a force in the Milwaukee rental business. "It's amazing how hard they fight over relatively small amounts of money. Learn more. Still, Berrada remains largely unknown in political and business circles. But growing evidence shows that more and more evictions arent driven by so-called mom and pop landlords struggling to balance their personal checkboards. "Berrada Properties Management, Inc. has a history of promptly and fully addressing matters which result in the issuance of an order by the City," he wrote. In January and February alone, corporate landlords filed to evict more than 16,000 people including over 850 eviction filings in Texas counties since they were hit by Winter Storm Shirley. Robert Bauman, who represents the area. But like many Americans, Buckner is still unemployed and no more able to pay rent now than he was several months ago. At Berrada Properties, we pride ourselves on providing quality living at affordable pricing. Others express anguish over his companies' aggressive dealings with tenants, particularly through assembly-line evictions. Against doctors' recommendations to terminate the at-risk pregnancy, his parents chose life after God intervened, sending the family pastor to reassure them that this child would be "born to serve the Lord." Berradaoperations generally make repairs that are ordered by the city in a timely manner. It was the start of an unlikely alliance to solve Milwaukees eviction crisis. His18-room Mequon home sitson a 5.5-acre estate and is listed on state records as the principal office of his Berrada Properties Management Inc. Two other essential tenant rights that Ramos mentions are the right to enjoy the property and the right to get notice of eviction. I was pregnant and about to have a baby; I wouldnt be able to go anywhere with a newborn, said Pollard. Tired of seeing banner ads on Urban Milwaukee? For example, in 2017, the company was responsible for at least 10% of all evictions in Milwaukee County, and in the last week of July 2020, Berrada companies filed 256 eviction suits accounting for roughly half the 506 evictions filed in Milwaukee County that week. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1575462103976-0'); }); Meanwhile, during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,Berrada Properties received nearly $1.5 million in rent assistance through programs administered by the Social Development Commission. When Young went to the basement to check her belongings kept in a locked storage area she was shocked to see just how aggressive the workers had been. Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Renters are regularly charged between $218 and $295 by Berrada for court fees, according to the complaint. celine dion net worth 2022; french brandy codycross; vassar men's volleyball; edith pretty rheumatic fever; britney spears basketball; presonus native instruments; are students considered residents for tax purposes; youssef joe'' berrada house. Goldberger, the Berrada attorney,said Toliver received proper notice of the eviction. ", We followed four Wisconsin dairy farms for a year as they struggled with an industry-wide crisis, one didn't make it, Wisconsin lawmaker proposes resolution honoring white people, among others, during Black History Month. Journal Sentinel reporter Cary Spivak has been covering the alleged tenant rights violations tied to Berrada Properties. The incident occurred when Bearden-Berrada was served with eviction papers seeking to throw her out of a Mequon house she was renting from aBerradacompany. The tenant could not leave his apartment for four days because the conditions left would have punctured the tire on his wheelchair. I couldnt talk to nobody, theres no one to connect with. The name Yousef is primarily a male name of Arabic origin that means God Will Increase. An eviction filing functions as a stain on a tenants record which can make it close to impossible to find future housing. That speaks to a real imbalance of power that is reified and reinforced by the court systems that grant levels of anonymity to landowners and landlords.. Some of Berrada's tactics are raising red flags with advocacy groups and attorneys who work with low-income renters. Family owned and operated, Berrada Properties, has more than 20 years of property management experience. Young twice sued Berrada Properties for throwing out her belongings. Thats true historically and it remains true during the pandemic.. When there was some mold in the ceiling workers simply painted it over basically guaranteeing the mold would return. Over the past eight years, city building inspectors have citedBerradaproperties with more than 1,300 violations, ranging from the mundane to the serious. Tenants are expected to attend via video conference, often an impossibility for those without smartphones or laptops. "I'm not a media person, I'm not a politician,"Berrada told a reporter. For example, if an agreed-upon payment plan which often includes the client paying late feesand Berrada's court costsis not followed,it can result in additional evictions. Youssef Kerkour is 43 years old (in 2021). "I don't even know how he does it and I was married to him," said Vikki Bearden-Berrada,who court records show was married toBerradafrom 1991 to 2003 and lived with himfrom2009 to 2017. Soon after a Berrada LLC boughtYoung's building on the 5300 block of North 29th Street, the company began renovation work. Joe Cole is a handsome and well-mannered 35-year-old English actor who was born on November 28, 1988. Youssef Popularity. Hes gonna evict, I dont have any doubt that hes gonna evict, because thats what he does, said Bucker. Erin Willoughby, an attorney at Legal Aid Atlanta calls the phenomenon playing musical management companies. On multiple occasions, she has arrived at housing court, ready to defend a tenant, only to learn that the unit was sold the previous day or week. When she opened Facebook, she saw people posting about Berradas rampant evictions. Foley explained that the eviction filings Berrada was handing out like candy would haunt tenants for years to come, making it close to impossible to find future housing. Rape and Sexual Assault are No Laughing Matter, Unless Your Name is Donald Trump : Yousef. The complaint alleges that Mr. Berrada and Berrada Properties Management, Inc., violated Wisconsin landlord-tenant law by including . When moves are necessary, he said, Berrada officials work with the tenants to ensure a smooth transition. Both SDC and Community Advocates defended doling out millions of dollars to the controversial landlord. During that time his caretaker regularly stopped at the apartment building, finding the conditions unchanged. Landlords have filed 272,612 evictions since March-and thats just in the 27 cities that the Eviction Lab at Princeton University tracks. This is the very, very last resort, Berrada said. Corporate landlords in cities like Milwaukee helped drive an evictions crisis during the pandemic. The suit was filed by Attorney General Josh Kaul, and Assistant Attorneys General Robert B. Bresette and Gregory A. Myszkowski on behalf of the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection which conducted investigations into violations of consumer protections law by Berrada Properties Management. I'm writing in response to the front page article about Youssef "Joe" Berrada and all the rental properties he owns ("'He'll evict you in a minute,' " July 15). Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul today announced the filing of a civil law enforcement action against Youssef (Joe) Berrada and his property management company, . Help us share the knowledge by buying a gift subscription. That made him responsible for over half of the city's evictions. "They either try to evict or at least strongly urge people to move out because it's cheaper and more efficient to go in there and do the rehab if nobody's there," he says. Bearden-Berrada knew enough about her ex-husband's finances to last year negotiate an increase in child support payments for theirtwo teenage children from $2,500 a month to $10,000. We have a lot people unresponsive, meaning, we have tried sending [certified] letters, emails, text messages, knocking on their doorno response, Berrada said. "We work very hard every day to do better. Inspectors ordered the violations be fixed by April 8, but the city failed to schedule a follow-up inspection until last week after the Journal Sentinel asked whether repairs had been made. Berrada is known as "the boulder guy," since his companies frequently put boulders on the lawns of their properties. "Thats a pretty disproportionate amount," Dunn said. Ramy Youssef net worth: Ramy Youssef is an American stand up comedian and writer who has a net worth of $2 million. The suit seeks restitution and civil forfeiture from Berrada and his company, as well as a change in their policies that would bring them in compliance with the law. Housing experts say that many cases have been decided in the landlords favor when a tenant doesnt show up due to a technical glitch with video conferencing software. Post author: Post published: Julho 8, 2022; 1/5. Berrada Properties would advertise units with appliances, then have tenants sign leases that stated there were no appliances in the unit. Jan 19, 2017. Press Release. The rest were forced to eject their habitat due to unresponsiveness. He said tenants currently owe him about $5 million cumulatively. One person told the DOJ that in 2020 they asked the company about one of these notices and the reply was that it wasnt an option for me to stay here at all. Other times, Berrada company agents have simply shown up at peoples front doors and told them they had 30 days to leave. The civil enforcement action against Berrada includes a range of violations. . Berrada had already billed JT $500 in late fees by then, and hed paid $375 of them. This ad will close automatically in 15 seconds. There was a lot of things going through my head: where will we go? Youssef "Joe" Berrada, a native of Morocco who lives in a $1.6 million Mequon mansion, has quickly and quietly become a force in the Milwaukee rental business and the county eviction court. For many corporate landlords, there is no system for understanding why a tenant might have missed a rent check- its simply data plugged into a computer system that spits an eviction notice out after a set period of time. Youssef has 1 job listed on their profile. pdf pdf . The growth of Berrada Property has subsequently provided us the ability to become. The approximately 75 firms owned by or linked to Berrada most of them limited liability companies were behind more than one out of every 10 eviction cases filed last year in the county, a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel analysis found. "I just sat on the stairs and cried," Young said. Fax: (608) 267-2779 Berrada companies went from filing 2.5 percent of all evictions in the county in 2013 to 5.7 percent in 2015. Today, when Foley works with tenants who need housing but have past evictions on their record, she often refers them to Berrada, one of the only landlords in the area who will offer them a lease. Mohammed Berrada's Net Worth: $1-5 Million. Berrada Properties Management also has a habit, outlined in the complaint, of making bizarre, unnecessary repairs to their buildings that inconvenience and torment their tenants.
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