FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 9, 2026
For additional information, please contact:
Andrew D. Freeman, 410-404-4888, adf@browngold.com
C. Matthew Hill, 410-625-9409 x229, hillm@publicjustice.org
Chelsea Ortega, 410-842-0555, cortega@svolaw.com
BALTIMORE – The Circuit Court for Baltimore City found on Tuesday that Westminster Management, one of the nation’s largest landlords, owes over $4 million, plus interest, to tenants whom it charged illegal fees relating to the late payment of rent. The court granted summary judgment in favor of a class of over 17,000 Maryland tenants on liability and damages, finding that Westminster Management, the property management arm of Kushner Companies, unlawfully charged illegal late-payment and court-related fees in violation of Maryland law and the terms of its leases. The court awarded tenants damages of $4.17 million plus interest that will exceed $2 million, rejected Westminster’s defenses, denied Westminster’s motion to decertify the class, and permanently enjoined Westminster from collecting or attempting to collect any unpaid illegal fees.
The ruling builds on the tenants’ 2024 victory in the Supreme Court of Maryland, which held that Westminster’s charges related to the late payment of rent violated state law. Following that decision, in 2025, the Circuit Court for Baltimore City certified the case as a class action. The class includes all current and former tenants at Westminster-managed properties in Maryland who have been charged fees related to the late payment of rent since 2014 and who paid those fees.
“This decision was a monumental step in a nine-year battle towards resolving this case for thousands of tenants who are entitled to decent housing without being charged unlawful fees,” said Tenae Smith, the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit. “No one should have to face the choice that I did, between paying illegal fees and feeding my kids.”
“After the Supreme Court of Maryland found that Westminster Management’s late-fee practices were illegal, the trial court found the damages were simple math, adding up the illegal fees paid by tenants. We’re grateful that the court saw through Westminster’s efforts to obfuscate and delay,” said Andrew D. Freeman, a partner at the law firm Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP, who represents the tenants. “While there are several more steps before money can be distributed, we look forward to the day when current and former Westminster tenants finally receive the damages they are owed and Westminster is held accountable for its illegal, predatory behavior.”
“Landlords that charge hidden, illegal fees make housing even more unaffordable. These fees add up, so families often have to choose between putting food on the table and paying the fees to avoid eviction. This ruling should serve as a warning to other landlords that have never met an illegal fee they wouldn’t try to charge,” said Matt Hill, co-counsel for tenants at the Public Justice Center.
“When landlords impose unlawful charges, the financial burden often falls on tenants who are least able to absorb it. From the beginning of this case, we have sought to recover money that was wrongfully collected and to put an end to practices that affected tens of thousands of tenants. We are pleased to have achieved this result for our clients and the class,” added Chelsea Ortega, a partner at Santoni, Vocci & Ortega, LLC who also represents tenants in this lawsuit.
Maryland prohibits landlords from charging late fees of more than 5% of unpaid rent due. Westminster Management, the property management arm of Kushner Companies, engaged in a scheme to charge Maryland tenants illegal, excessive late fees on top of the permissible 5% fee; designated those fees as “rent” under its form leases; and then misapplied tenants’ payments first to the illegal fees and non-rent charges so it could claim that rent was still due and thereby obtain a faster eviction and pressure tenants to pay to avoid eviction. The Supreme Court of Maryland previously concluded that every element of this scheme violates state law.
The tenants in this case are represented by Brown, Goldstein & Levy attorneys Andrew Freeman, Anisha Queen, Lauren Kelleher, and Alisha Jarwala, along with co-counsel C. Matthew Hill of the Public Justice Center and Chelsea Ortega, Jane Santoni, and Matthew Thomas Vocci of Santoni, Vocci & Ortega, LLC.
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About Brown, Goldstein & Levy LLP
Founded in 1982, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a law firm based in Baltimore, Maryland, with an office in Washington, DC. The firm is nationally recognized in a wide variety of practice areas, including complex civil and commercial litigation, civil rights, health care, family law, criminal defense, and appellate advocacy. Above all else, Brown, Goldstein & Levy is a client-centered law firm that brings decades of experience and passionate, effective advocacy to your fight for justice.
About the Public Justice Center
The Public Justice Center pursues systemic change to build a just society. As a nonprofit civil rights law firm, we work to achieve racial and economic justice for people who are struggling to provide for their basic needs. Our Human Right to Housing Project stands with tenants to protect and expand their rights to safe, habitable, affordable, and non-discriminatory housing and their rights to fair and equal treatment by Maryland’s landlord-tenant laws, courts, and agencies. To learn more, visit www.publicjustice.org.
About Santoni, Vocci & Ortega, LLC
Santoni, Vocci & Ortega is a Maryland-based litigation firm recognized as a leader in tenants’ rights and consumer protection advocacy. The firm represents renters and consumers in complex litigation involving illegal evictions, unsafe housing conditions, unlawful fees, deceptive business practices, and other violations of state and federal law. Santoni, Vocci & Ortega continues to advance the rights of renters across Maryland and shape the development of tenant law through impactful litigation.
