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| USA et al v. Dennis Christ and Kevin Christ, Plaintiff's Exhibit 12 (Public record court filing, thus public domain) |
In July 2012, a tenant at 3821 Russell Ave N brought a civil suit against Dennis Christ and Kevin Christ. But this isn’t any ol’ lawsuit, it’s a qui tam action wherein the tenant (via their attorney, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid) asks the federal government to intervene on allegations that the landlords made fraudulent claims and demands relating to housing assistance payments. The Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota agreed to intervene, and one of the Christs was finally served the evening of December 18, 2013.
According to the original complaint and exhibits, a tenant was living in a subsidized housing unit that provided a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher at the end of her first year of tenancy. She started searching for apartments at the end of that period, and found 3821 Russell Ave N. She was allegedly told that rent was $1,050 per month, but that there was an additional $35 “laundry charge” for the washer and gas dryer. However, according to the tenant, that additional charge was not optional...
