Jared Kushner is laying the groundwork for the eviction of hundreds of tenants in his Maryland properties. The Washington Post reports that Kushner’s Westminster Management is planning on making the move once a moratorium which was imposed on evictions because of all the people out of work due to the Covid-19 crisis ends.
The State of Maryland issued the moratorium on March 5 and renewed it on October 29. The ban prohibits courts from processing legal eviction orders. But while no evictions can be carried out for now the landlords can still file all of the necessary paperwork required by law as part of the eviction process.
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Westminster Management is doing just that so it will be ready to move forward with evictions the moment that the bans are lifted.
The people looking at eviction are those who are suffering financially because of the Corona crisis. And all of this is happening to them just before Thanksgiving which marks the start of America’s holiday season.
Does the Jewish Jared Kushner really want to play the part of Ebenezer Scrooge on the eve of Christmas?
But such behavior is nothing new for the Kushner family. Three years ago the New York Times reported on how the family’s real estate empire has been accused of being slumlords in Biltmore and other places.
For its part Westminster Management released a statement asserting that it is obeying all laws. “Westminster has comprehensively abided by all federal, state, and local orders regarding residential tenancies during the Covid-19 pandemic,” read the statement, “… and will faithfully continue to do so.”
It may be legal but is it right or even necessary?
Westminster Management’s description of itself from its website makes it clear that the company is about the bottom line:
Westminster manages over 15,000 apartment homes in five states, including New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and Tennessee. Economies of scale are employed to reduce operating costs and benchmark performance ratings are applied across the portfolio to maintain quality and cost efficiencies using “best in class” systems. Marketing, pricing, resident relations, amenities, maintenance and other management issues are carefully scrutinized to ensure accurate and efficient property operations.
