Smith, et al. v. Westminster Management, LLC, et al.

 TENAE SMITH, et al., v. WESTMINSTER MANAGEMENT, LLC, et al.
In the Circuit Court for Baltimore City
Case No. 24-C-17-004797

Notice of Class Action

This lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City on September 27, 2017, by Tenae Smith, Howard Smith, Simone Ryer, Dechonne McBride, and Louvinia Sneed as a proposed class action. The Court has certified the case as a class action and named these individuals Class Representatives. The lawsuit is called Tenae Smith, et al. v. Westminster Management, LLC, et al. The case number is 24-C-17-004797.

The lawsuit alleges that Westminster Management, LLC violated state law when it charged and/or collected impermissible and illegal fees related to the alleged late payment of rent. The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages; an order that Westminster be required to pay back all impermissible and illegal fees it collected from Class Members; a judgment awarding Class Members damages, interest, attorneys’ fees, and costs; and a Court Order that Westminster cease charging these fees. The Court has not decided whether Class Representatives are correct or whether Westminster is correct.

Who is Included as a Class Member?

All persons who: 1) are or were tenants at Westminster-managed properties in Maryland; 2) have been charged fees related to the alleged late payment of rent since September 27, 2014; and 3) have paid those fees.

What are Your Rights and Options as a Class Member?

You may retain your own counsel to represent you at your own cost and seek to appear, individually, or intervene in the case. Any request for intervention must be sent to the Circuit Court for Baltimore City located at 111 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21202. Copies of the intervention and supporting papers must also be mailed or hand-delivered to: Andrew D. Freeman, Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP, 120 E. Baltimore St., Ste. 2500, Baltimore, MD 21202, Counsel for Plaintiffs and the Class, and Michael E. Blumenfeld, Timothy M. Hurley, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, 100 S. Charles St., Ste. 1600, Baltimore, MD 21201, Counsel for Westminster.

A written request for intervention must be sent by U.S. mail, first class postage prepaid, postmarked on or before October 14, 2025. Any request for intervention must be by motion and must comply with Maryland Rule 2-214. Any Class Member who does not file a request for intervention in the time and manner described above is prohibited from seeking to intervene in this lawsuit.

You may request exclusion and “opt-out” from the Class. If you elect to be excluded from the Class, you will not be bound by any judgment or settlement of the lawsuit, nor will you receive any of the benefits of this Class Action, including the payment to you of any money. You will retain and be free to pursue any claims that you may have on your own behalf. If you wish to exclude yourself from the Class, you must mail a written request for exclusion to RG/2, P.O. Box 59479, Philadelphia, PA 19102-9479. Requests for exclusion do not need to be in any particular format, except that the request must state that you intend to “opt-out” or request “exclusion” from the Class, and it must be signed in ink and contain the full name, current address, and telephone number of the person requesting exclusion. The written request for exclusion must be sent by U.S. mail, first class postage prepaid, postmarked on or before October 14, 2025. Any Class Member who requests exclusion by October 14, 2025, will be excluded from the Class by the Court.

CLASS MEMBERS WHO HAVE MOVED SHOULD PROVIDE CLASS COUNSEL WITH THEIR CURRENT ADDRESS

If you have moved from Westminster’s property and/or changed your mailing address or plan to change it in the future, you must advise Class Counsel of your new address. Please mail or email your new address to Santoni, Vocci & Ortega, LLC, 201 W. Padonia Road, Suite 101, Timonium, MD 21093, Email: info@svolaw.com

 Court Documents

 How Do I Get More Information?

Do not call the Court with any questions or requests for information. All questions and other information requests should be submitted to the Settlement Administrator or Class Counsel at the following addresses:

Para aprender más información sobre esta notificación en español, favor de llamar 410-625-9409.