As former potential tenants continue to file lawsuits against the management of the late Sam Zell’s Equity Residential, a group of tenants has now filed a similar lawsuit against Bay Area firm Legacy Partners.
The lawsuit against Legacy was filed in Los Angeles County late last month. The plaintiffs are a group of 19 potential tenants who applied to live in four different apartment buildings in North Hollywood, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles and Chula Vista. Similar to previous allegations against Equity Residential, residents allege that their potential landlord, Legacy, violated their privacy during the application process by secretly obtaining consumer survey reports — a form of detailed background check, often conducted by interviewing colleagues , usually outlining non-public information such as the applicant’s character, reputation, and lifestyle.
The plaintiffs seek statutory damages of $20,000 each, plus punitive damages, and are asking the court to order Legacy to change its practices and provide it with copies of reports, among other things.
Landlords wishing to make these reports must follow strict requirements under California law, such as notifying applicants and providing copies upon request so applicants can correct false information.
But while Legacy included a release on tenant applications stating that the management company “will screen for criminal background and prior evictions,” the lawsuit said, the company also flagrantly violated rules regarding more detailed consumer investigative reporting. Regulation.
Estate “concealed from plaintiffs the nature and type of consumer investigative reports they would obtain concerning plaintiff, the dates on which the reports were obtained, the entity or entities that would provide the reports, and plaintiffs’ rights with respect to consumer investigative reports,” Suit Nation .
It’s also claimed that Legacy obtained at least two investigative reports on each potential tenant, that the landlord knew the rules for obtaining them but obtained them anyway, orchestrating what the lawsuit calls a “deliberate and systematic violation of ICRAA” — —California law regulating the investigative reporting process.
Representatives for Legacy did not respond to a request for comment. The company, which says it has developed more than 78,000 apartment units and manages more than 50 complexes, is headquartered in San Mateo County, California, in Foster City, Calif., and also has locations in Dallas, Denver, Orange County, Orlando and greater Seattle. There are regional offices.
The tenants who alleged the violations applied for occupancy in 2021 at Avalyn Apartments in Chula Vista, 7950 West Sunset Apartments in Los Angeles, Piedmont Senior Apartments in North Hollywood and Triana Apartments in Woodland Hills.
The lawsuit against Legacy comes as nearly identical allegations against Equity Residential by the same law firm continue to surface. A group of tenants filed a lawsuit against the company last August, and since then several legal actions have been filed by tenants in various buildings across Southern California, including some filed this month.
