The late fees, which for some tenants, like JT, are nearly endless, contribute to the debts that Berrada then uses as a cause for eviction. "The construction that is occurring in her apartment has significantly affected her health,"her physician, Brian Hilgeman, wrote in a 2017 letter to help Young break her lease. We were inundated, said Foley, It was like weve never seen before.. In January and February alone, corporate landlords filed to evict more than 16,000 people including over 850 eviction filings in Texas counties since they were hit by Winter Storm Shirley. Try for free at rocketreach.co . FOLLOW THE JOURNAL SENTINEL: The rest were forced to eject their habitat due to unresponsiveness. He said tenants currently owe him about $5 million cumulatively. "I don't think weve had tenants calling complaining about (Berrada Properties) rental practices," she said. ContactCary Spivak at (414)550-0070 orcspivak@jrn.com. . According to a recent report by Jobs With Justice and PESP, 198 corporate landlords got almost $320 million in federal COVID subsidies and then went on to file at least 5,381 evictions between March 16 and October 13th. That reticence beliesthe outsized influence Berradaand his companies have on the lower-income rental market in Milwaukee. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1420576007798-3'); }); Berrada declined to speak to Insider for this story but, through his lawyer, he said Berrada Property Managements hiatus doesnt necessarily reflect a change of heart. Even before the pandemic, the relationship between landlords and tenants could be complicated. Goldberger said his client is "a particularly private person and wishes to operate his business without unwelcome publicity.". It was breathtaking and appalling and like, holy cow, things are out of control.. Then, she received an eviction notice from her landlord, Joe Berrada. The corporation name 6642594 CANADA INC.. Business Informatoin. Soon after a Berrada LLC boughtYoung's building on the 5300 block of North 29th Street, the company began renovation work. Bad press from the Sentinel, which has included drone footage of Berradas 18-room mansion, was not letting up. The Mequon home of Youssef Berrada, a landlord owns more than 300 buildings and 3500 rental units in the Milwaukee area. The incident occurred when Bearden-Berrada was served with eviction papers seeking to throw her out of a Mequon house she was renting from aBerradacompany. While not all evictions result in a forcible removal, filings can trigger job loss, increased poverty, and serious mental health issues that include depression and suicidal ideation. "He owns everything here. During the COVID-19 pandemic, tenants reported workers entering their units or working inside their building for renovations without taking precautions like mask wearing. In April 2020, the company notified all the tenants at one apartment building they would be replacing every front door in the building despite the fact the existing doors were still functional, according to the complaint. In Milwaukee, publicly available information is the only reason Foley was able to direct her op-ed at the right person: Joe Berrada. I don't think it is illegal; I think it's very unethical. He was born on June 9, 1978, in Rabat, Morocco. Berrada, known as the boulder guy because he notably places big boulders surrounding his properties, is being sued by the states Department of Justice for fraudulent representation, unfair billing fees and allegedly causing pest infestations by conducting renovation projects in a negligent manner, according to the law suit. Ben Youcef, 42, was born in Algiers on the Mediterranean coast. Share . Truly, an eviction benefits neither the landlord nor the tenant, and BPM always attempts to find a solution to the situation before filing an eviction.. Tenants are expected to attend via video conference, often an impossibility for those without smartphones or laptops. "Thats a pretty disproportionate amount," Dunn said. Last year, Berradaentities filed 670 more evictions than they filed in 2016; countywide the increase for all landlords was just 685. She said the late payments were so steep that she soon owed the equivalent of two months of rent. Berrada has long been synonymous with evictions in Milwaukee. "It's amazing how hard they fight over relatively small amounts of money. Attorney General Josh Kaul announces a lawsuit against Milwaukee landlord Youssef Berrada, and his property management company. "Tenants have the right to live in properties that are decent," he explains. "When you have that type of concentration, it impacts the quality of the apartments because the tenants' choices are limited. Thats true historically and it remains true during the pandemic.. Spectacular Scandinavia with John Mercure and Collette, Creative Planning presents, Rethink Your Money with John Hagensen, Money Talk, The Annex Wealth Management Show, Money Talk, The Annex Wealth Management Show Podcast, The Accunet Mortgage and Realty Show Podcast, WTMJ Cares: Polar Plunge with Vitrano for Special Olympics, 2023 Greater Milwaukee International Car & Truck Show, Indonesia fuel depot fire kills 16, over dozen missing, UN nuclear head meets with Iranians amid enrichment concerns, Philippine governor, 5 others killed in brazen attack, In Britain, warm hubs emerge to beat soaring energy costs, Philippine governor killed by gunmen while meeting villagers. This ad will close automatically in 15 seconds. "They either try to evict or at least strongly urge people to move out because it's cheaper and more efficient to go in there and do the rehab if nobody's there," he says. Berrada says the boulders prevent people from driving onto the . Pressure meanwhile mounted from other directions. Berrada had already billed JT $500 in late fees by then, and hed paid $375 of them. "I was hurt, I was devastated, there were things in there that never will be replaced, my pictures, my family pictures my siblings' (pictures). BPM has always recognized the potentially adverse impact a filed eviction may have on a tenants ability to find suitable housing, they said over email. "The state Department of Justice is suing a Milwaukee landlord, Yous sef Joe Berrada, owner of Berrada Properties for allegedly violating landlord-tenant law. The phone number for Youssef is (480) 588-7753 (Pac West Telecomm My granddaughter's ashes.". Follow him on Twitter at @cspivakorFacebook at facebook.com/cary.spivak. "It's a terrible abuse. The net worth is $5 Million. Become a member for $9/month. "I got out of the shower and he was sitting on the couch.". What if my kids are taken from me? Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul announced the filing of a civil law enforcement action against Youssef (Joe) Berrada and his property management company, Berrada Properties Management, Inc. That many evictions in one week? Search our database of over 100 million company and executive profiles. Help assure the future of citys fastest growing publication. Last updated on November 18th, 2021 at 02:42 pmWisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul today announced the filing of a civil law enforcement action against Youssef (Joe) Berrada and his property . Phoenix and Houston are the cities with the second and third highest numbers of evictions during the pandemic, according to Princetons Eviction Lab. Today, when Foley works with tenants who need housing but have past evictions on their record, she often refers them to Berrada, one of the only landlords in the area who will offer them a lease. It wasnt always so hard to keep the roof over your head in America-in part because corporations didnt used to own so many peoples homes. Berrada often charges two sets of late fees, a $50 charge after the 5th of the month and another $50 charge after the 10th. These court fees related to eviction, based upon the criminal complaint, are just one layer in a stew of penalties that keep a tenant indebted to Berrada, who then extracts even more money from the tenant on top of the monthly rent. Berrada uses late fees, sometimes illegally imposed on new tenants, according to the DOJ, in a manner interwoven with the companys hair trigger evictions and its withholding of security deposits. Nov 17th, 2021 by Graham Kilmer. Wedding-Focused Event Hall Planned for Vliet Street Near Washington Park, Friday Photos: UWMs New Chemistry Building Topped Off, Trump Recount Attorney Reappointed To Wisconsin Judicial Conduct Committee, Transportation: MCTS Buses Could Again Serve Summerfest, But Issues Remain, Housing Authority Has Waitlist Three Times Larger Than Its Affordable Housing Supply, $10.4 Million in Unclaimed Property matched to Rightful Owners, Two senior pedestrians killed attempting to cross Milwaukee streets, Eyes on Milwaukee: Train Car Bar Being Demolished, Transportation: Airport Will Rip Out Two Runways, Murphys Law: Journal Sentinel Circulation a Disaster, Milwaukee Extends Downtown Parking Meters To 9 P.M., Adds Saturdays, Protasiewicz Says She Would Recuse Herself From Cases Involving Democratic Party, Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. Sometimes Berrada is the guy landlords in trouble turn to when they need to sell in a hurry. She scrounged together enough money for a couple nights at a hotel but had no idea where theyd go after that. To know more specific about her net worth and salary follow the below table. Te decimos cmo desecharla ms rpido. Among other things, DOJ charged Berrada's company with improperly keeping security deposits; pushing out tenantsso newly purchased buildings could be renovated; unfair billing practices and imposing improper fees on tenants, including requiring them to pay the costs including legal fees of exterminating pests. The fact that the industry is so difficult to track is also a huge part of why there is so little accountability for corporations who are evicting people in the middle of a pandemic, despite the CDC moratorium. . In Young's case, shewas not asked to leave though she now she wishes she had left before the rehab work began last year. Youssef "Joe" Berrada, a native of Morocco who lives in $1.6 million Mequon mansion, has quickly and quietly become a force in the Milwaukee rental business. Definition of Youssef in the Definitions.net dictionary. If you have been thinking about moving, now is the time.. : Yousef. Berrada Properties would advertise units with appliances, then have tenants sign leases that stated there were no appliances in the unit. These unexplained front door replacements are common and if tenants are not home when it occurs, the company makes little to no effort to ensure will still have access to the apartment after the door, complete with a new lock, is replaced. "Our tax dollars should be used to provide a good place live," Goyke said adding the dollars should not go to a landlord "who won't repair a dishwasher.". He is the senior pastor of the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia, and the executive president of Leading the Way. Another woman who required oxygen to breathe was forced to move out of her apartment when renovation work produced so much dust and chemical pollutants she had trouble breathing. Foleys organization and another housing organization called Community Advocates have also worked with Berrada to obtain emergency rental assistance from government coffers. The tenant could not leave his apartment for four days because the conditions left would have punctured the tire on his wheelchair. This alternate spelling of Yusuf leads the way in Spain, where it is among the 100 most popular baby names. Its in such a striking contrast to the defendants of these cases, where I know their names and their addresses but I cant say much about who is evicting them said Hepburn, of the Eviction Lab. Research by the Private Equity Stakeholders Project (PESP), a research and advocacy organization, has tracked nearly 50,000 evictions by corporate landlords in select counties in six states since the beginning of September, and found that corporate landlords are responsible for the majority, and sometimes overwhelming majority, of evictions in some counties. Under Review. Youssef Kerkour is 43 years old (in 2021). Some city officials praiseBerrada, saying he oversees a well-run operation that buys and rehabs neighborhood eyesores. But like many Americans, Buckner is still unemployed and no more able to pay rent now than he was several months ago. While many Berrada tenants have been relieved by the shift in tone, theyre wary of what happens when the CDC moratorium is lifted and their plight falls off the news cycle. For example: Repeat actions:Berrada entities repeatedly file eviction actions against the same tenant, often ending each case with an agreement, orstipulation, demanding the tenant pay back rent, court costsand late payment fines. Community Advocates has developed a close working relationship with Berrada, whose aggressive eviction practices had been the target of criticism from tenants, community groups and politicians. Full Real Name. Tenants with government-issued phones with limited minutes can blow their entire months allotment just waiting on hold for their case to be heard. Donald Trump's election may have shocked the nation, but it was no surprise . The complaint details a record of the company failing to inform tenants of upcoming work, illegally entering their apartments without notice and conducting renovations in a manner that creates inhospitable living conditions. ", "I started getting depressed," said Young, who was unemployed and on rent assistance. . In Berradas case, for example, it took dogged local journalism to track the 75 different firms linked to him and then painstaking work to cross-reference them with local eviction filings.