Wednesday April 26, 2023
An exterior photograph of the Greenway Apartments complex CREDIT: Investment Property Group UT (IPG)
Minneapolis (HOL) - Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has launched a civil investigation into Investment Property Group UT (IPG) over allegations of collecting or attempting to collect illegal utility charges and pursuing baseless evictions at the Greenway Apartments, a predominantly Somali-occupied complex in South Minneapolis.
In late 2022, Greenway Apartments, located near Karmel Mall, the nation's largest business center for Somalis, informed tenants that utilities would be billed separately from rent. Subsequently, tenants faced excessive utility charges, some exceeding $2,000. Local nonprofit Isuroon, dedicated to advocating for Somali women and girls, reported that numerous tenants paid these dubious charges to evade eviction. IPG, operating as Eat Street Portfolio, LLC, has filed over 30 eviction actions since February 2023.
Investment Property Group is a private real estate investment and management company with headquarters in Park City, Utah, and additional offices in California, Minnesota, and Oregon. The company owns and operates Manufactured Home, Multifamily, and RV communities throughout the United States.
"Safe, stable, affordable housing is a human right," Attorney General Ellison stated. "Minnesota has laws that protect tenants from abusive practices and unjust eviction actions, and I am committed to using the power of my office to enforce them. Companies and rental properties that disregard Minnesota's utility-billing laws and other housing issues must know we are watching and will act. Keeping people and communities safely housed requires information and action, so I encourage anyone with concerns about these businesses to come forward."
The investigation will scrutinize Greenway Apartments and IPG's compliance with Minnesota's landlord-tenant laws and assess any racially motivated eviction filings which would breach the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
Isuroon, a grassroots organization committed to enhancing the health and well-being of Somali women and girls in Minnesota and globally, is providing Greenway Apartments tenants with legal services, utility bill counsel, and supportive services.
The organization can be reached at (763) 353-9313 or [email protected], or in person at 1600 East Lake Street, Suite 1, in Minneapolis, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.