Maryland Legal Aid has stepped to help residents of a senior housing community in Berlin who have been dealing with poor living conditions and a property management company that has not responded to their complaints so far.
The private nonprofit law firm is following up on complaints that accuse Severn Management of ignoring work orders, maintenance requests, and calls for more staff.
In one instance, according to residents, a tenant was without heat and air conditioning for 12 months.
Maryland Legal Aid began working with renters of Cottages at Berlin last December. Cottages is a 40-unit community offering affordable housing options to seniors aged 62 and above.
Residents sought Legal Aid’s help late last year to address what they say is a lack of availability and responsiveness from Annapolis-based Severn Management, which oversees properties throughout Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia.
Law firm representative said tenants told them issues began to materialize in 2020, when oversight of the property transitioned from Schuster Management Corporation in Westminster to Severn.
“During that transition, it went from an active tenant management team to an absent staff,” said Avery Shivers, Maryland Legal Aid’s Equal Justice Works Community Organizing Fellow.