Attorney General sues owner, property manager of DC apartment buildings over inhabitable living conditions

Yahoo

17-04-2025

WASHINGTON () — An owner and property manager of an apartment complex in Northeast D.C. is being sued by D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb over dangerous housing conditions and compromising the health and safety of tenants.
In the announced on Thursday, Schwalb noted that Mikhail Phillips, 711 49th Street LLC, RLP Investment Group LLC, and Vision Realty Management LLC, failed to maintain safe and habitable conditions for tenants at the 5128 and 5134 Sheriff Road NE buildings. Officials added that prolonged neglect has allowed illegal drug and gun activity 'in and around the property' to take place.
Court documents also revealed the property manager and owner of the apartment complexes do not have the proper licenses to operate or manage a multi-unit property in D.C.
The two multi-family buildings have a total of 25 units. The buildings are located in Ward 7's Deanwood neighborhood, which is one of the oldest African American communities.
In September of 2020, Phillips, 711 49th Street LLC, bought the property. However, since obtaining the property, Schwalb said the owner and property manager allowed conditions to deteriorate to a level that posed a severe threat to life and safety.
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During the Office of the Attorney General's (OAG) investigation, piles of trash were found outside the complexes. Officials also discovered severe roach and bedbug infestations, unlocked and unsecured doors and windows.
On Feb. 7, an OAG Investigator inspected the property and found more than a foot of standing water in the basement at 5134 Sheriff Road and a strong odor emanating from the water. The next day, the District emailed Phillips, and he replied, 'This is not my problem. Stop contacting me,' according to court documents.
Another response sent fifteen minutes later reads, '[A]ccording to DC comics Batman and Robin take care of Gotham city. Why don't you call them and have them handle it.'
Their investigation also revealed fire-safety and electrical hazards and water damage from repeated flooding at the 5134 Sheriff Road building. While searching the property, investigators noted the buildings were dirty, doors had missing handles and bicycles and vehicle seats had been left unattended.
From February 2021 to March 2025, the Department of Buildings (DOB) conducted several inspections, issuing over 30 notices of infractions. Over the four-year period, the two buildings received over 100 code violations.
In March of 2025, DC News Now visited the alley along the 5100 block of Sheriff Road, finding trash piles as high as five feet. Tenants said the garbage had been piling up for at least a month and became so bad that they paid money to have it removed.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Massive trash pile grows at Northeast DC apartment complex
'It's real, real real bad. It's real, real bad,' neighbor Stevie Lovett told DC News Now in March. 'I've just. I've never seen it like this. My eyes haven't seen things like this, ever.'
For one tenant, a water leak in the unit above hers was so severe that it caused water to rain and pour into her home every day for one week. The leak caused mold to grow in her apartment for two and a half years, court documents revealed.
Other tenants have lived without working stoves, refrigerators and dishwashers, and have not had hot water.
'This is the second year that I have been living with terrible, dangerous conditions including a massive roach infestation—my stove doesn't work and mold has accumulated around the door frames of the kitchen,' said tenant Karen Glover. 'I have been living without hot water because of a massive water leak that destroyed my heating tank. I repeatedly emailed the owner and never got a response.'
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On April 1, the building at 5134 Sheriff Road was placarded as uninhabitable. Eight days later, the Department of Buildings issued an order to vacate the property, requiring all tenants to leave the building by April 16.
Additionally, the attorney's office said that from February 2023 to March 2025, at least seven people were found murdered or died on the property. According to the OAG, D.C. police also recovered several guns and large amounts of drugs during search warrants at the two buildings.
Schwalb said the OAG is seeking a court-appointed receiver to develop and execute a plan to address the numerous housing code violations at the apartment complex, restitution and damages for harmed tenants and civil penalties.
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