A Hennepin County housing court referee on Monday appointed an administrator to oversee 43 rental properties owned by Mahmood Khan after the embattled Minneapolis landlord lost his rental licenses and exhausted his legal appeals.
The unprecedented decision by referee Mark Labine was hailed as victory by tenants' rights advocates because the tenants, most of whom have low incomes, had been informed by the city's regulatory division that they would face eviction on Feb. 28 unless they moved.
The city had begun organizing efforts with nonprofit groups to seek alternative housing for the tenants. In an affidavit submitted earlier to the court, Noah Schuchman, head of regulatory services, said he supported the appointment of an administrator.
"I feel good about this," said Tecara Ayler, who had been renting a house from Khan on the 3400 block of Penn Avenue N. and had been given orders to move out. "It does relieve some of the pressure. … We still don't know what happens next."
Never in the history of Minnesota have so many rental properties been put under one administrator by a court, said Larry McDonough, who heads pro bono legal work for the Dorsey & Whitney law firm, and has represented some 10,000 tenants and landlords over the past 34 years.
McDonough, who is not involved in the case, said it was also unprecedented that a tenants' remedies action was used in court to have an administrator appointed. Such actions, which are rare in and of themselves, are normally aimed at getting a landlord to make repairs.
"It's a huge victory for the tenants," he said, and sends a message to other tenants and landlords that if they lose their license it does not mean tenants will be evicted.
The request for the administrator was brought by pro bono attorneys at Faegre Baker Daniels on behalf of tenants who faced eviction.
