Final Settlement Approved in Affordable Housing Class Action

A judge has signed off on the final settlement to end an ongoing class action over squalid living conditions at a local affordable housing community. Robinson Bradshaw, in partnership with the North Carolina Justice Center and Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, represented a class of plaintiffs in the action against the former owners and managers of Lake Arbor Apartments. Under the settlement, the owners have paid $547,500 for distribution among 106 former tenants.

Robinson Bradshaw attorney Julian H. Wright Jr. spoke with WBTV about the legal ramifications when landlords allow such derelict conditions, noting that “you can’t rent out premises that don’t pass code inspections” and not expect to face consequences. That interview is available here, and more coverage of the settlement is available at WFAE and The Charlotte Observer.