U.S. Department
of Justice
United States v. United Communities, LLC (D. N.J.)
On September 27, 2018, the United States filed a complaint and entered into a settlement agreement in United States v. United Communities, LLC (D. N.J.). The complaint alleges that United Communities, which provides on-base military housing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, engaged in a pattern or practice of violating the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (“SCRA”), 50 U.S.C. § 3955, by imposing lease termination charges against 13 servicemembers who had properly terminated their residential leases under the SCRA. Specifically, United Communities was requiring servicemembers who terminated their leases early following receipt of Permanent Change of Station or deployment orders to repay rent concessions they had received for prior months. The settlement agreement requires United Communities to pay $45,001.78 in damages to 13 servicemembers and a $17,500 civil penalty to the United States. The agreement also requires United Communities to adopt new polices and training to prevent future violations of the SCRA.
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