Alden Park Tenants Association President Kadi Ashby was a driving factor in the group’s formation earlier this year. Now, Alden’s management has denied her lease renewal, stripping the newly formed group of its leader.

Ashby received a formal notice from Alden Park’s property management, Point Management Group, under Ram Partners, LLC, informing her they decided not to renew her lease and would not provide a reason.

“I have never [missed a payment], I’ve had my rent on autopay since I moved in. I’ve never had a noise complaint, a lease violation. There is no actual good cause, reason for it,” Ashby told the Local. “Two other members of the association received nonrenewal notices on Friday as well. Both of them did have some late rent payments, though, and that was the reason that was given to them when they asked.”

An Alden resident and member of the tenants’ association who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation told the Local, “Losing Kadi would be an enormous setback. However, this egregious method of forcing her out through nonrenewal will only strengthen our resolve to demand better housing legislation from all our elected officials.”

‘This may be frustrating’

Ashby reached out to property management asking for a reason for her lease nonrenewal. In an email exchange provided to the Local by Ashby, Alden Park’s management told her, “For year-to-year leases that are not renewed, we do not provide additional information. While I understand this may be frustrating, the decision not to renew your lease stands.”

Philadelphia law does require a “good-cause” reason for a landlord issuing a lease nonrenewal, but that law only applies to leases that are for less than one year.

According to Holly Beck, a Chestnut Hill resident and supervising attorney for Community Legal Services’ housing unit, “Philadelphia law says the tenants have the right to organize themselves, and the Philadelphia Fair Housing Commission does accept complaints from tenants who have received notices to quit or notices of nonrenewal that they feel are retaliatory in nature.”

While not addressing Ashby’s individual situation directly, Beck said, “The tenant would have the option of filing a complaint with the Philadelphia Fair Housing Commission.”

Ashby and the rest of the tenants association have asked the historic apartment complex’s management for better maintenance and safer conditions. In her efforts, Ashby connected with local politicians, including City Councilmembers Curtis Jones Jr., and Nicolas O’Rourke.

In a statement to the Local, O’Rourke said, “I’m deeply upset to learn about the situation that Kadi Ashby is facing, because it looks like exactly what I’m aiming to ban through the Safe Healthy Homes Act.”

He added, “Too many tenants, only ‘guilty’ of organizing with their neighbors or calling on agencies like [the Department of Licenses and Inspections] as we in City Hall ask them to, find themselves facing displacement with little or no explanation. It’s unacceptable, but we need to make it illegal.”

The Local reached out to Ram Partners, LLC, and Alden’s management, but did not receive a response.

City Council’s attempts at legal protections

Philadelphia’s “Good Cause” bill was signed in 2019 by then-Mayor Jim Kenney, citing habitual nonpayment, nuisance activity, and substantial damage as some of the “good cause” infractions permitting nonrenewal.

According to Beck, “The good cause protections that we have now, the original bill would have applied to all leases, and in the amendment it was reduced to [only covering leases of less than a year, such as six-month leases or month-to-month leases.]”

In April, O’Rourke proposed a bill amending Philadelphia code to modify the requirements related to good cause for ending a tenancy, adding protections against retaliation and harassment for tenants and tenant organizations.

In June, the bill was held in committee by City Council’s Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless, with O’Rourke’s office hoping to bring the bill back to committee as soon as possible.

Members of the committee include Councilmembers Jamie Gauthier, Rue Landau, Mark Squilla, Michael Driscoll, Curtis Jones Jr., and Cindy Bass.

Without protections in the city code, Ashby filed a complaint through the Fair Housing Commission, claiming that the nonrenewal is a result of retaliation for tenant organizing.

“They have no reason not to renew my lease, except for the fact that I started a tenant union, or because of the complaints that I’ve made to 311,” Ashby said.

Organizing options

Another tenants association member, Margaret Davidson, received a notice of nonrenewal from Alden’s management. Davidson claims that before losing her job, a member of Alden’s staff told her that a partial rent payment would prevent late fees as long as she paid it off by the end of the month.

After reaching out to management, Davidson received an emailed response from Jessica Cartaya, an area vice president at RAM Partners, LLC, overseeing Alden Park, which read, “Unfortunately, the lease agreement signed is clear in stating that partial payments are not accepted. We are in our legal right to not discuss our reason for not offering a renewal for the upcoming lease expiration.”

Ongoing mold issues drove Ashby to organize. She described the property’s management as unresponsive at best. She reported black mold and a leak in her apartment to Alden Park’s maintenance, and hired a lawyer after waiting more than three months for a response.

Despite the issues she dealt with living at the property, Ashby said she wants to stay because “I want to see the tenant union through.”

Beck said for tenants looking to organize, lack of protections against nonrenewal can “have a real chilling effect, because people will often prioritize having a stable roof over their heads. That’s why these protections for organizing among tenants exist.”

She added, “I would advise any tenant who feels they’re facing a retaliatory eviction or lease termination to, number one, know their rights. We keep a website called Phillytenant.org where we try to post clear and up-to-date legal guidance for tenants across the city. And number two, consider filing a complaint with the Fair Housing Commission.”

Tommy Tucker can be reached at Tommy@chestnuthilllocal.com.

This story was updated on  Oct.  1 to adjust a quote from Holly Beck