Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown (D) announced he is pressing charges against the owners of the Temple Hills apartment complex Heather Hill for using unfair and deceptive marketing practices on Nov. 13.
The complex allegedly operated without a temporary rental housing license from the May 2022 acquisition of the property until May of this year, despite multiple notices from the Prince George’s County’s Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE). The first hearing will be next year, on Feb. 10.
Brown announced during the press conference that he is seeking to recover money that the companies received from tenants using these alleged illegal marketing practices, to stop charging tenants rent and to cease renting any currently vacant units to new tenants until they have a license.
“Owners of multifamily housing units are required to hold a license in the state of Maryland. It’s simple. It’s straightforward. It’s the law, but it took the Heather Hill property company 25 months after they purchased the property to even apply for a license for more than two years,” said Brown.
The attorney general emphasized that property management companies have a responsibility to their tenants.
“It doesn’t matter whether you live in an apartment you rent or a house you own, your home should be a place of safety and comfort,” said Brown. “Home is a place for children to rest in and parents to recharge. A space to share a meal with your family and talk about your day. A place to make happy memories for children. But that’s not what the residents of Heather Hill Apartments have experienced. Heather Hill Property Company, to them, a home is simply an opportunity to make money.”
Charlene Hall, the founder and president of the Heather Hill Tenants’ Association, has lived in the complex for the past seven years.
“I’ve been having a lot of issues in my apartment,” she told South County activist Tamara Davis-Brown and former Laurel Councilman At Large Martin Mitchell in an interview mid-September. “Flooding, leaks, electrical problems, inoperable appliances, rodents and birds, mold: it’s just so many things. I’ve been complaining about my refrigerator since last year and they gave it to me from another unit.”
Shortly after receiving the temporary housing license in May, more than 100 failure to pay notices were sent to residents. A June inspection of the site found a myriad of issues ranging from expired fire extinguishers to missing window panes to inoperable stairs. After failing a fire safety inspection on Aug. 4, the temporary rental license was suspended.
County Administrator Tara Jackson has alleged a possible connection between the living conditions in this apartment complex and recent health concerns at the neighboring elementary school.
“There may be a correlation between the unclean living conditions and the health issues being experienced by students that attend the Dent Elementary School,” Jackson said.
Councilmember Edward Burroughs III (D-District 8) emphasized the importance of Brown’s announcement as positive progress toward helping and empowering frustrated Heather Hill residents, who often felt their concerns were ignored.
“It’s important that you treat our residents with the dignity and respect they deserve,” said Burroughs III. “This is a major step in the right direction.”
Prince George’s County Firefighter Reallocation Plans Face Concerns
A Nov. 14 County Council meeting allowed numerous County residents to voice concerns on how the reallocation of firefighters would cause delays in emergency response times and question why the “temporary” plan has been ongoing for five months.
Elected representatives from Bladensburg, Berwyn Heights and College Park also spoke on behalf of their constituents during the meeting, which lasted more than an hour.
A June plan moved 55 firefighters from local stations in Greenbelt, Berwyn Heights, College Park, and Bowie to Belair, in order to reduce burdens on emergency staff and improve health and wellness for firefighters.
“The reallocation plan with stations 814, 835, 839 and 855 will continue,” said Prince George’s County Fire Chief Tiffany Green, who asked county residents for patience through the process.
She also said this year’s there are roughly 150 recruits, the most in department history, although firefighter staff salaries remain among the lowest in the region.
“We’ve been dealing with this since 2020 right before COVID started, and then into COVID. We lost a lot of firefighters and now we’re in the process of rebuilding that and it takes time, and this forum gave them the opportunity to see the bigger picture,” Green explained.
She also said that 28 firefighters have left the department in recent months.
The municipalities of Greenbelt, Berwyn Heights, and College Park released a statement expressing disappointment. In addition, those three cities filed an injunction and had a hearing in court, where their request to reconsider the reallocation of those firefighters was recently denied.
Bladensburg Mayor Takisha James said this decision stretches “the capabilities of our volunteer team,” and “creates potential response delays.”
Further, College Park Councilmember Jacob Hernandez expressed concerns that local leaders weren’t being fully consulted.
Kimberly Potts, director of the Green Ridge House apartments in Greenbelt, also weighed in on the challenge the reallocation of firefighters causes for all residents, particularly seniors.
“The loss of our local career fire personnel at Station 835 leaves our seniors feeling less secure, and it undermines the peace of mind we all should be able to rely on,” said Potts. “Prior to the loss of our local career fire personnel, we enjoyed rapid response times, often within just a few minutes, which provided a crucial sense of security for our vulnerable population.”
