DENVER — Residents of Mint Urban Infinity apartments in Denver are seeking a class action lawsuit against their landlord, the Cardinal Group, for what they say is a lack of action on major fixes needed to their buildings.
The lead plaintiff, Brandon Smith, has lived in the apartments since April, and he says numerous major issues brought to the attention of management have gone unanswered.
"It just kind of started adding up over time. We didn't have air conditioning all summer in my building, and then we ran out of hot water for about 10 days," Smith said. "I don't know how many times I've made calls, I've talked to people, and I've yet to get even a call back."
Smith and his colleagues recounted flooding, sewer backups, ceiling collapses, broken windows and disabled locks among others as examples of how the management company failed to respond to serious issues in a reasonable amount of time.
"The landlords have proven that they don't care," said Devon Mackenzie, one of Smith's neighbors working on the case as well. "What rights do we have if they're taking our money? They're not letting us leave. They're not fixing anything, and we're stuck in squalor."
The renters at Mint say the company has broken Colorado's Implied Warranty of Habitability Law, which requires landlords to make fixes to problems in their buildings that cause serious challenges to an apartment's habitability. Managers are required to respond and fix issues in a timely manner, often within 24 hours of its report.
"They've been blaming vendors, they've been blaming global supply chain shortages for simple things like light bulbs," Smith said. " I'm kind of curious like what they're gonna come up with next."
The tenants have hired 9 to 5 Colorado to take the case, a group that represents working families and individuals who often cannot afford to defend themselves in court. Representatives say cases like this happen often in Colorado because of weak enforcement of the laws.
The Cardinal Group declined an interview with Denver7 stating they "will not comment on impending litigation," but responded to the allegations in a statement saying "We disagree with the attorney's characterization of the property and of our company. If we receive a lawsuit, we will address the allegations and the case accordingly."
