Meanwhile, housing the poor is a prosperous business, given that poor and relatively wealthy renters pay similar amounts of rent. Or swing pastRoom 400 of the Milwaukee County Courthouse on just about any afternoon, whereBerrada property managers negotiate in the hallway with tenants facing eviction. We know that Youssef is married at this point. Youssef Berrada. Need legal aid? The first eviction was filed against JT in November 2018 for an unpaid balance of $400, 30% of which was late fees. Share . Contact Us, Take the next step, become a member. In two cases November 2017 and June 2018 Berrada Properties was warned that a lease is void if it "requires payment by the tenant of attorney fees or costs in any legal action or dispute arising from the rental agreement.". 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. That made him responsible for over half of the city's evictions. Bad press from the Sentinel, which has included drone footage of Berradas 18-room mansion, was not letting up. Even if it is extended, housing experts say that it will only be kicking an eviction tsunami down the line- not to mention ignoring the fundamental problems with housing in America. So, if someone is having an issue with their landlord, there are a lot of resources available," says Ramos. 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. As the sole provider for her kids, she quickly fell behind on rent. "When you have that type of concentration, it impacts the quality of the apartments because the tenants' choices are limited. The director address is 1339 Meadowlands Dr. E, Unit #1111, Nepean, ON K2E 7B4, Canada. An apartment on North 29th Street in Milwaukee owned by Youssef "Joe" Berrada company featuring his signature boulder on lawn. The complaint alleges that Mr. Berrada and Berrada Properties Management, Inc., violated Wisconsin landlord-tenant law by including . Clarks eviction came when she was in between jobs. Youssef's personal network of family, friends, associates & neighbors include Samir Berrada, Turki Berrada, Faiza Berrada, Saad Berrada and Omar Cariaga. He's not a big contributor to politicians, and he doesn't belong to thetrade group that represents Milwaukee area landlords. Her buildinghad recentlybeen bought by a company tied to Youssef"Joe" Berrada, a native of Morocco who has quickly and quietly become a force in the Milwaukee rental business and the county eviction court. Photo by Graham Kilmer. Tired of seeing banner ads on Urban Milwaukee? July 8, 2022 . Joe Berrada overall profits are growing on a daily basis, and he is becoming more popular on the sidelines. Sometimes Berrada is the guy landlords in trouble turn to when they need to sell in a hurry. Its just a wild historical aberration Weve never seen anything like it before, says Peter Hepburn, an Association Professional Specialist at the Eviction Lab. Berrada Properties Management also has a habit, outlined in the complaint, of making bizarre, unnecessary repairs to their buildings that inconvenience and torment their tenants. Since corporate landlords are often an umbrella for multiple limited liability companies and shell companies (often to take advantage of tax benefits), their names rarely appear directly on eviction filings. "He just seems to be going around buying a ton of stuff and a ton of boulders," Rodriguez said. Its just a cut and dry type of operation that he runs.. Its also been good for business: when tenants get money, Berrada also gets money. Landlord Berrada defends evictions record. Id be homeless if it werent for Berrada, said 29-year old Tevin Buckner who Community Advocates helped with months of back rent owed to BPM through the new cooperative systems after he lost his job at the beginning of the pandemic. But the company often notifies renters that their deposit has been withheld for failing to give Berrada a proper 30-day notice before leaving the apartment. And when evicting Berrada always gets his money. PO Box 241191. What happened in Milwaukee last summer exposes an overlooked, but driving force of the evictions crisis: corporate landlords are becoming an increasingly dominant player in the U.S. rental market, and they are more likely to throw their tenants out onto the street. Youssef (Joe) Berrada's vision of providing affordable . That was one of a dozen days last year whenBerradacompanies filed at least 40 evictions. "He owns so many units and housing insecurity is a huge issue andwe don'twant to put people into homelessness. In Milwaukee, publicly available information is the only reason Foley was able to direct her op-ed at the right person: Joe Berrada. When she turned on the television, she saw coverage of the same. She scrounged together enough money for a couple nights at a hotel but had no idea where theyd go after that. During a brief discussion a couple of years ago, Bauman said, Berrada told him his family was involved in"buying, rehabbing and reselling heavy construction equipment" in Morocco and that he had some business interests in Europe. youssef joe'' berrada net worthhttps www law cornell edu uscode text 26 501 youssef joe'' berrada net worth. He owns a 49-foot yacht and is the president of YB Falcon Inc., a Delaware corporation that owns a Mystere Falcon 900 jet, records show. Others express anguish over his companies' aggressive dealings with tenants, particularly through assembly-line evictions. The civil complaints allegations paint a picture of a landlord and his rental company who use a web of fees and illegal practices to extract money out of tenants on top of their rent; torment renters with dangerous, sometimes needless renovations; profit from the evictions process; and when its expedient, even if the rent is paid in full, simply push tenants out of their homes. Everyone just wants a roof over their head, somewhere they can come inside and deal with life.. In 2017, the millionaire mogul was responsible for more than one in 10 of the citys evictions, which the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported alongside descriptions of his multiple palatial homes, luxury cars, 49-foot yacht, and the time he served his own ex-wife with eviction papers. "It's amazing how hard they fight over relatively small amounts of money. That reticence beliesthe outsized influence Berradaand his companies have on the lower-income rental market in Milwaukee. Joseph. Hes gonna evict, I dont have any doubt that hes gonna evict, because thats what he does, said Bucker. Welcome to Sephari (pronounced Safari) wilson ultra tennis racquet; urban institute press; first premier credit card funds availability. Family owned and operated, Berrada Properties, has more than 20 years of property management experience. Berrada declined, repeatedly, to be interviewed for this story. Madison, WI 53707-7857 Phone: (608) 266-1221. Some Berrada tenants are sued for eviction as many four times in a year, records show. "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.". That speaks to a real imbalance of power that is reified and reinforced by the court systems that grant levels of anonymity to landowners and landlords.. Landlords have filed 272,612 evictions since March-and thats just in the 27 cities that the Eviction Lab at Princeton University tracks. "I just sat on the stairs and cried," Young said. If the unit did have an appliance, and it needed fixing, someone from the company would simply show up and remove it from the building. Inthe days after the Journal Sentinel reported that Attorney General Josh Kaul's agency had sued Berrada, several tenants contacted the newspaper to complain about the conditions of their rental units. During that time his caretaker regularly stopped at the apartment building, finding the conditions unchanged. The phone number for Youssef is (480) 588-7753 (Pac West Telecomm In fact, the state alleges, his company will charge tenants these fees, illegally, even if their rental agreement was signed before his company started including the two sets of late fees. Requiring tenants to pay legal costs in eviction cases "was a part of the standard lease even though it is prohibited," said Raphael Ramos, director of theEviction Defense Project in Milwaukee. Black women face eviction at twice the rate of white renters in 17 states, according to analysis by the American Civil Liberties Union. [email protected]. Berradacompanies filed at least 1,637 eviction lawsuits last year, or 11.6 percentof the 14,157 filed countywide, records shows. Housing advocates fear that the worst is yet to come. "They are armed with the most powerful threatgovernment has short of jail," he said of landlords. Housing experts warn the current crisis could trigger the kind of corporate consolidation of the housing market we saw in 2008-only this time at warp speed, as corporate entities lap up properties previously owned by mom and pop landlords driven out of business by the pandemic. In April, Berrada appeared before a Common Council committee that was considering selling a city-owned, fire-damaged property to his operation. 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. Youssof. "I'm not a media person, I'm not a politician,"Berrada told a reporter. Cole said he did not know whetherBerrada's reputation for aggressive evictions stops tenants from filing complaints, but noted:"People are deathly afraid to turn in a landlord.". She not only lost her family photographs but the urn that held her infant granddaughters ashes. That made him responsible for over half of the citys evictions. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1597238472710-0'); }); Email this Business. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul today announced the filing of a civil law enforcement action against Youssef (Joe) Berrada and his property management company, . Of Berrada, Ald. Berrada has long been synonymous with evictions in Milwaukee. Announces Mary Ellen Stanek as Board Chairwoman and adds Dr. Joan Prince and Charles Harvey to Board of Directors, Tiffany Tardy Named New Executive Director of MPS Foundation, DWD Announces Appointments of Jeremy Simon as Assistant Deputy Secretary, Arielle Exner as Legislative Liaison. In the Covid era, housing courts across the country went virtual. In 2015, Stephen Toliver was pleased to land an apartment in a newly purchasedBerradaproperty on West Silver Spring Drive. 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. "You can't get mail without a mailbox," said Ramos of the Eviction Project, whichrepresented him in the case. 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. Get Directions. Foleys organization had tangled with Berrada before, but now Foley decided on a new tactic: she penned a scathing op-ed in the Sentinel, calling out Berrada, whose companies manage about 8,000 rental units in the greater Milwaukee area, directly. "Thats a pretty disproportionate amount," Dunn said. SeanHargadon, a U.S. While not well known throughout the city, Berrada's presence can befeltin some neighborhoods, especially on the west and north sides just look for the ubiquitous boulders. The growth of Berrada Property has subsequently provided us the ability to become. He dismissed that sentiment as inaccurate. I was pregnant and about to have a baby; I wouldnt be able to go anywhere with a newborn, said Pollard. He wonders whether Berrada is truly turning over a new leaf or whether its a political stunt that will end when the cameras stop rolling. Milwaukee landlord Youssef Berrada and his firm charged with 15 violations of state law. "The state Department of Justice is suing a Milwaukee landlord, Yous sef Joe Berrada, owner of Berrada Properties for allegedly violating landlord-tenant law. "If someone is going through the eviction process, I think there are a couple of things to remember. Against doctors' recommendations to terminate the at-risk pregnancy, his parents chose life after God intervened, sending the family pastor to reassure them that this child would be "born to serve the Lord." 2018-07-22 -. By January, almost 12 million renters owed an average of $5,850 in back rent and utilities-an insurmountable sum in a country where before the pandemic 40% of the population didnt have $400 on hand in an emergency. (A Real Glass Company). In some parts of Atlanta, for example, where corporations own at least one in five single-family rentals, tenants might not know who their landlord is until they receive an eviction notice. When she told Berrada that renters of color and the very poor were disproportionately impacted, she said that Berrada, who is Moroccan and came to Wisconsin as a foreign exchange high school student in the 1980s, seemed to recoil. Instead, todays federal minimum wage is just $7.25. By Graham Kilmer - Nov 17th, 2021 01:08 pm Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Tielisha Hodges, who lives in a Berrada unit on West Sheridan Avenue, complained about holes under her sinks, space between a wall and the floor, and a lack of gas for several weeks when she first moved into the apartment. Between 2011 and 2013, private equity firms, buoyed by huge subsidies, snapped up about 350,000 homes from banks. The second suit was heading for trial until April, when Berrada Properties Management agreed to pay Young$5,000 to settle,said attorney Amanda Adrian, who represented Young through Legal Aid. In 2021, he gained prominence after portraying Zied Al-Haqqani in the TV series SEAL Team.' Aside from that, Ben has appeared in a number of action films. Youssef Origin and Meaning. Now, coincidentally, his number of eviction have declined since he started collecting seven million dollars in rental assistance. Attorney General Josh Kaul announces a lawsuit against Milwaukee landlord Youssef Berrada, and his property management company. That can continueto haunt them, hobbling efforts to find new places to live. Young twice sued Berrada Properties for throwing out her belongings. Next week, the Center for Disease Controls eviction moratorium, which has stemmed evictions but not stopped them, is set to expire again. This ad will close automatically in 15 seconds. Journal Sentinel reporter Cary Spivak has been covering the alleged tenant rights violations tied to Berrada Properties. Even before he was born, it was evident that God had a vision for Michael Amerhom Youssef. Goldberger told the Journal Sentinel that sometimes Berrada Properties will make the "business decision" to settle a lawsuit. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that while the state DOJ was preparing this case, Berrada collected nearly seven million dollars in rental assistance. This is the very, very last resort, Berrada said. Donald Trump's election may have shocked the nation, but it was no surprise . says Ramos. The Cleaning Specialists. I'm writing in response to the front page article about Youssef "Joe" Berrada and all the rental properties he owns ("'He'll evict you in a minute,' " July 15). Tenants are expected to attend via video conference, often an impossibility for those without smartphones or laptops. Groups like Mediate Wisconsin, Legal Aid Society, and Community Advocates have all raised awareness by creating a virtual Milwaukee Rental Housing Center where tenants can access resources. . Is Michael Youssef Married? The date of birth of Michael Youssef is 25th september 1948. ", "I started getting depressed," said Young, who was unemployed and on rent assistance. Share . The $50 late fees and the attending court fees billed for eviction filings amounted to a combined $2,422 in fees charged to the tenant. Get a daily rundown of the top stories on Urban Milwaukee Renters are regularly charged between $218 and $295 by Berrada for court fees, according to the complaint. You must be an Urban Milwaukee member to leave a comment. ", Still, Goyke added, landlords who receive taxpayer-fund rent assistance payments"should be held accountable to a certain standard. "I feel we have a good, over 95% approval rate," he said, referring to audit by an unnamed company Berradasaid had reviewed his operations. He earned the money being a professional Arabist. The agency has worked with Berrada to help tenants find new units if they could not afford their rent and has urged Berrada not to charge late fees, she said. Others have raised complaints. But like many Americans, Buckner is still unemployed and no more able to pay rent now than he was several months ago. Ditch the ads, get free stuff. It did. 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. In 2018, according to the complaint, another tenant, who has paraplegia and uses a wheelchair, found the carpeting in the hallway outside his apartment ripped up, leaving a strip of tacks at his threshold. Visit Website. Berrada companies went from filing 2.5 percent of all evictions in the county in 2013 to 5.7 percent in 2015. . Milwaukee landlord,Youssef Joe Berrada, accused of violating landlord-tenant law by unlawfully evicting tenants, says the lofty number of evictions since the end of the moratorium were a last resort effort.