HARRISBURG, PA — Hundreds of former “rent to own” tenants of Vision Property Management can breathe a sigh of relief. Attorney General Michelle Henry announced on Monday that the Common Pleas Court of Allegheny County approved a settlement allowing these residents to retain deeds and ownership of their homes.
In 2021, the court had directed judgment by default against Vision Property Management and other defendants. This resulted in the transfer of deeds for more than 250 Pennsylvania homes to residents who were living under what the Office of Attorney General alleges were unlawful “lease with option to purchase,” and “agreement for deed” land installment contracts or mortgages.
However, some defendants contested this decision, challenging residents’ rights to own the homes. This newly approved settlement resolves that dispute, ensuring that consumers who were deeded the homes will keep them, free and clear of any claims from these defendants. Further, as part of the settlement, the parties have agreed never to engage in residential real estate transactions in Pennsylvania again.
“These homeowners have been in distress, unsure if they could retain ownership of their homes. This court-approved settlement offers them final assurance,” Attorney General Henry said. “It will also provide restitution to consumers who were unlawfully evicted from their homes before our litigation began.”
The original lawsuit was filed in 2019 against Vision Property Management LLC, its Pennsylvania subsidiaries, and key figures Alexander Szkaradek and Antoni Szkaradek. The homes offered under the “rent to own” scheme were often run-down and unsafe, with mostly low-income consumers lured into the scheme based on false promises of home ownership.
In a related development on January 3, the court also approved a settlement between the Commonwealth and eight other defendants, referred to as the Archway Defendants. These defendants, separately owned by a private investor but operating under the Vision Property Management umbrella, were also allegedly involved in these unlawful transactions. The Archway Defendants agreed to pay the Commonwealth $250,000 to settle claims against them and transferred the deeds of several homes they owned in the Commonwealth to the consumers living in them.
Four defendants remain in this ongoing litigation: ACM Vision V, Alexander Szkaradek, Antoni Szkaradek, and Vision Property Management. With this court-approved Consent Petition, the Office of Attorney General is now clear to vigorously pursue the remaining defendants, seeking restitution for consumers who had a contract with Vision but were no longer occupying the homes at the time the litigation was filed in 2019.
The Vision Property Management litigation has been handled by Senior Deputy Attorney General Susan Apel. This latest development marks a significant victory for the tenants and reinforces the commitment of the Office of Attorney General to protect consumer rights.
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