(WNY News Now) – Miller Properties Group, LLC, and its owner, Jason Miller, were fined $500 over allegations of illegal water shut-offs in occupied properties, emphasizing the illegality of “self-help” methods in tenant eviction.
Warren, PA – Attorney General Michelle Henry has reached a settlement with Warren County’s Miller Properties Group, LLC, and its proprietor, Jason Miller, following accusations of unlawful water disconnection aimed at occupied properties. The case stemmed from the company’s resort to “self-help” tactics, where landlords take unauthorized actions to coerce tenant evictions, a violation of Pennsylvania Landlord Tenant Act regulations mandating a court order for possession.
Responding to tenant grievances, the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection intervened, compelling Miller to reinstate water services and pursue evictions through legal channels.
Attorney General Henry underscored the impropriety of self-help measures, asserting, “The law is clear that self-help is not an acceptable or lawful way to address tenants who are delinquent on rent payments.”
The settlement, presented as an assurance of voluntary compliance, was recently lodged with the Warren County Common Pleas Court. It outlines Miller Properties Group’s additional breach of the Pennsylvania Fair Credit Extension Uniformity Act (FCEUA), governing debt collection, which prohibits creditors from unjust actions and non-judicial dispossession attempts for exempt properties.
As part of the agreement, Miller Properties Group and its owner pledged adherence to all relevant statutes and agreed to a $500 civil penalty.
Tenants subjected to similar self-help tactics are urged to contact the Bureau of Consumer Protection at 800-525-7642 or visit the PA Office of Attorney General’s website to file complaints.
Leave a Reply