In North Carolina, Attorneys and Advocates File Suit Against Corporate Landlord American Landmark for Allegedly Saddling Renters with Numerous, Illegal Junk Fees

DURHAM (October 20, 2026)—Halperin Petersen & Mikkilineni LLP (HPM), the North Carolina Justice Center, and Kelly Guzzo, PLC today filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of North Carolina renters against corporate landlord American Landmark Management LLC (“Landmark”), and two of its property-owner affiliates, Conrad at Concord Mills POE LLC (“Conrad”), and Cadence at Cates Creek POE LLC (“Cadence,” together with Conrad, the “Property Owners”). The lawsuit alleges that after Landmark began managing apartment buildings in North Carolina, the defendants added mandatory, monthly junk fees, including for overpriced cable and internet packages and a credit reporting product. These junk fees had the effect of increasing tenants’ monthly rent burden by more than $100 per month. The lawsuit also alleges that once tenants miss a payment or are unable to pay the full amount of their monthly rent and fees, Landmark and the Property Owners aggressively extract more junk fees—including egregious “attorney and legal” fees and lease “early termination” fees— as penalties for falling behind.

Landmark is a Delaware limited liability company headquartered in Tampa, Florida. It is one of the largest multifamily residential property management companies or landlords in the United States, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council, managing and operating over 35,000 residential housing units across the South and Southwest. Landmark manages and operates nine properties in North Carolina, consisting of over 3,000 total residential units.

The lawsuit alleges that Landmark and the Property Owners’ junk fee-driven business model has helped increase costs for tenants so significantly that it has fueled eviction filings at its properties that are many multiples higher than the state average. In the 2025 to 2026 fiscal year, there were 12 eviction filings for every 100 renter households in North Carolina, but in 2025, properties managed by Landmark in Mecklenburg County filed an average of 50 evictions per 100 units. In particular, Conrad filed 63 evictions for every 100 units at the Conrad at Concord Mills.

“Housing costs across North Carolina continue to rise, sharply outpacing wages, pushing thousands into unstable homes, homes further away from jobs and opportunity, and even into homelessness,” said Peter Gilbert, Director of Litigation at the North Carolina Justice Center. “In Mecklenburg County alone, more than 50,000 families faced eviction last year. These deceptive and unlawful fees are one of the primary drivers of housing costs, and therefore evictions, as landlords squeeze tenants past their breaking point.”

“Hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians struggle to pay their rent, and this lawsuit alleges that Landmark’s illegal actions added to renters’ housing costs and in some cases, trapped them in debt spirals that were impossible to escape. Junk fees do more than just frustrate renters trying to afford housing—they violate North Carolina law. We look forward to pursuing justice for Landmark tenants,” said Cara Petersen, founding partner at HPM.

The affordability crisis has hit renters across the U.S., and North Carolina tenants are no exception. According to a recent report from the North Carolina Department of Commerce, nearly half of renters in the state are cost-burdened, meaning they spend 30% or more of their income on housing and utilities. Plaintiffs Paula Hindman and Diron Kelly are and were tenants of two Landmark apartment complexes, Cadence at Cates Creek in Hillsborough (owned by Cadence) and Conrad at Concord Mills in Charlotte (owned by Conrad), respectively. The lawsuit alleges that once Landmark took over management of both buildings, they drastically raised rents on existing tenants, and imposed numerous junk fees on top of the base rent, including a fee for cable and internet and a fee for a credit reporting service known as RentPlus. These fees are mandatory—Plaintiffs and all Landmark tenants must sign up for these services as a condition of renting a Landmark property. The lawsuit alleges that these fees for cable and internet and credit reporting services also exceed defendants’ costs to provide the services or what the renters would have paid on the open market to get the services themselves, making them a profit center for Landmark and the Property Owners.

When Kelly fell behind on his rent, including the fees for the mandatory cable and internet package, his technology services were disconnected—but he was still required to pay for the services while they were unavailable to him. He was also forced to pay Landmark and Conrad “reconnection” fees to have the services restored. Landmark and Conrad then subjected him to thousands of dollars in so-called attorney and legal fees as they prepared eviction proceedings against him, even in instances where they did not actually file those proceedings with the court. When Landmark and Conrad did eventually evict Kelly, they tacked on a baseless additional charge of two months’ rent as a lease “early termination” fee. Meanwhile, Hindman, who lives on a fixed income as a retiree, has faced growing rent bills due to unavoidable junk fees. The lawsuit alleges that Hindman has paid more than $4,500 in illegal junk fees, while Kelly has been subject to more than $6,300 in these illegal fees.

“It’s hard enough making ends meet. Landmark added insult to injury by adding fee after fee to my monthly rent, and then charging me thousands when they evicted me,” said Mr. Kelly. “To this day, I am receiving collection notices for all of the fees that Landmark says I owe them.”

“I am a retiree. The fees at my apartment became so expensive that I went back to work part-time just to be able to afford my housing,” said Ms. Hindman. “While I’ve thought about moving, I can’t afford the up-front costs of doing so on a fixed income—so I am stuck paying all the fees that Landmark has added to my rent.”

The lawsuit alleges that Defendants have violated numerous North Carolina consumer protection and tenant laws, including the North Carolina Residential Rental Agreements Act, the North Carolina Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and the North Carolina Debt Collection Act.

The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and relief for members of the class, including a declaratory judgment that Defendants’ junk fee practices violate North Carolina law, injunctive relief, and damages.

Click here to view the complaint in the case, Hindman et al. v. American Landmark Management LLC et al.

If you are a current or former tenant at a Landmark property in North Carolina, and would like to discuss your legal options with the attorneys, contact them here. In addition to Cadence at Cates Creek in Hillsborough and Conrad at Concord Mills in Charlotte, Landmark properties in North Carolina include The Elliott in Concord, The Murray in Charlotte, Celsius Apartment Homes in Charlotte, The Bellamy in Charlotte, Latitude at Mallard Creek in Charlotte, 8 Metro Station in Charlotte, and The Kendall in Indian Trail.

For more information or to schedule an interview, contact press@hpmjustice.com, comms@ncjustice.org, or classaction@kellyguzzo.com.

Halperin Petersen & Mikkilineni (HPM) is a litigation firm built by former CFPB Enforcement leaders to hold the powerful accountable for exploiting workers, consumers, and small businesses. HPM brings cutting-edge legal firepower to strategic litigation against predatory corporate practices and abuses of power that burden people with debt.

The North Carolina Justice Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit working to create lasting, equitable change for people with low incomes and those harmed by systemic oppression across North Carolina. The NC Justice Center partners with impacted communities and those it represents to pursue justice and prosperity for all through policy advocacy, strategic litigation, research, coalition-building and support for grassroots action.

Kelly Guzzo, PLC is a consumer protection firm passionate about advocating for individuals who have been affected by fraudulent practices, unfair business dealings, and consumer rights violations. With extensive experience in consumer protection law, their attorneys have successfully represented thousands of clients, helping them recover damages and achieve the justice they deserve.