Attorney General Michelle Henry reached a settlement with a State College landlord, Legacy Realty & Property Management, LLC, which charged student tenants allegedly unlawful administrative fees attached to security deposits.

The Office of Attorney General filed a lawsuit against this landlord on July 8, 2019 regarding, among other things, administrative fees being collected as part of the security deposit, which the Office of Attorney General alleged was in violation of the Landlord Tenant Act and the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law.

These administrative fees were a percentage (10-30%) of all the charges made against the security deposit, including unpaid rent, damages, cleaning, painting, and fines.

“Some of these tenants were students away from home, on their own, for the first time and signing their first leases,” said Attorney General Henry. “I’m thankful to see a positive resolution come from this case. My office won’t allow Pennsylvania students to be taken advantage of.”

Under the settlement, Legacy Realty agreed to close its business and pay $17,500 in restitution to be distributed to consumers who filed complaints regarding the conduct alleged in the lawsuit. To be considered for restitution, consumers should submit a complaint with the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection online at www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint, and the complaints must be filed within 90 days of the Order adopting the Consent Petition.