Latest news with #BerradaProperties
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Milwaukee apartment fire; tenants claim money being kept from them
The Brief A fire broke out at a Milwaukee apartment building on Thursday, May 1. Tenants say money is being kept from them because of it. FOX6 News did not hear back from Berrada Properties. MILWAUKEE - Tenants of an apartment building damaged by fire say money is being kept from them because of it. What we know The fire happened on Thursday, May 1, near 85th and Fairy Chasm. There is extensive smoke damage inside the building. Days after a fire tore through the apartment building owned by Berrada Properties on Milwaukee's far north side, Robert Bickham is just starting to sort things out. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android "I'm just overwhelmed, exhausted, mentally drained," Bickham said. "It's almost like living in a nightmare where you just haven't woken up from." On Thursday, he arrived home to his eight-unit apartment to see that nightmare unfolding. He watched as firefighters quenched the flames. Days later, he got a look inside. "The whole building was just in smoke, just big black smoke going off," he said. "My clothes personally are just ruined. Everything is either water damaged or it's just smoked up or burnt." Dig deeper Now he said his landlord is making matters worse after what he was told on Monday, May 5. "[I was told] You pretty much need to try and clear out all your property, and we'll give you your security deposit back," he recalled. Bickham said he went to the building to get some of his belongings to find a mess. He doesn't think it's fair, and said he is being told to clean out his unit, or risk losing his security deposit. "It's just charred. Everything is completely charred," he said. "The door's off [...] It's like holding your money at ransom or something." SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News Bickham said he's not sure what he will do next. "It's hard to kind of see the light at the end of the tunnel when something like this happens," he said. What we don't know FOX6 News did not hear back from Berrada Properties. The Milwaukee Fire Department said the fire has been deemed undetermined as it remains under investigation. The Source The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News, with additional information from the Milwaukee Fire Department.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wisconsin, Milwaukee's biggest landlord Berrada settle suit. How tenants can find answers.
Current and former tenants of MIlwaukee landlord Youssef "Joe" Berrada's companies wondering how they may be impacted by state's recent settlement of a suit against the rental kingpin can find answers on a new website launched by the state. The frequently asked questions page created by the state Department of Justice and the Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection can be found at . The page includes answers to questions including how to get rent assistance and how the eviction diversion program works. The state settled its 2021 lawsuit against Berrada and his companies in Decemeber when Berrada agreed to pay $1.7 million and and take several other actions including creating $1.3 million account to pay rent assistance. The suit charged that Berrada and his companies routinely trampled on the rights of tenants through a variety of actions, including confiscating renters' property and illegally forcing some out of their rental units. "The resolution of this case establishes programs that will provide support to many Berrada Properties tenants," Attorney General Josh Kaul said in a statement. Berrada is Milwaukee's largest landlord. The state has said Berrada controls more than 200 limited liability companies, which combined own more than 9,000 rental units in Milwaukee and Racine. The resolution includes agreements calling for the Berrada companies to: Create a $1.3 million account to pay rent assistance to qualified tenants. Vacate and seal eviction judgments against tenants who were illegally charged late rent fees or attorney fees. Repay tenants who did not get full credit for their security deposit, had property confiscated, were subjected to evictions without a court order, or who paid late rent or attorney fees that should not have been charged. The resolution came after a three year court battle between the state and Berrada. The state suit was filed after the Journal Sentinel posted numerous stories about Berrada's treatment of tenants and his companies' aggressive filing of eviction suits. For example, in February 2022 Berrada companies filed at least 270 eviction action in less than one day. The settlement also requires Berrada to vacate and seal eviction judgements resulting from late rent fees or attorney fees that DOJ charged were illegally imposed on tenants. "Illegal business practices that harm consumers are not tolerated in Wisconsin," Randy Romanski, secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tenants of Milwaukee's largest landlord Berrada can find help at site
