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Friday, March 29, 2024

South Carolina landlord company sued over alleged illegal pest control fees

Britto monts attorney

Attorney Britton Monts is representing the plaintiffs. | The Monts Firm

AUSTIN, Texas (Legal Newsline) - A South Carolina landowner is being sued in federal court over claims the company improperly charged tenants in Texas pest control fees.

Tera Latouf and Quinn Huckfeldt filed the lawsuit on June 24 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas against Greystar Management Services claiming the company charged the fee over the last four years.

The lawsuit named others in the lawsuit, and said the defendants owned a combined 60,000 residential units in apartment complexes in Texas. The suit claims the pest control fees were charged to tenants on a monthly basis.

Further, the suit claims in order for tenants to legally charge for pest treatments it must be included specifically in the lease agreement.

“Absent lease language specifying the parties' agreement as to how pest control fees are to be allocated to tenants, the owner/landlord must absorb those costs,” the lawsuit states.

Greystar uses a standard lease agreement from the Texas Apartment Association, and there is nothing in the agreement that states the landlord can charge for pest treatments, according to the complaint. 

The plaintiffs are seeking class status for those who lived in Greystar-owned apartments. They also are seeking more than $5 million in damages plus court costs.

The plaintiffs are represented by Britton D. Monts of The Monts Firm in Austin, Texas; R. Martin Weber Jr. and Richard E. Norman of Crowely Norman LLP in Houston; and Jason W. Snell of The Snell Law Firm PLLC in Austin.

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas Austin Division case number 1:15-cv-00550

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