The Prince George’s County Circuit Court appointed Tarantino Properties of Texas as receiver for the Charlestowne North apartment building on February 26, and Tarantino staff began working at the building on February 28. This occurred within one month of Freddie Mac’s February 2 receivership filing in Prince George’s County Circuit Court.
Charlestowne North tenants described receivership as “the best thing that can happen to us.” (See Greenbelt News Review, February 8, 2024.) A receiver is a custodian responsible to the court to care for the property and resolve its many code violations. Receivers are often property management companies experienced in managing rental properties and authorized to collect rent. Tarantino’s website says their business is focused on commercial and apartment properties, including services for property management, brokerage, leasing, renovation and receivership.
Greenbelt City Manager Josué Salmerón notified tenants of the receivership approval by email on February 27. He said lender Freddie Mac, Tarantino and the city were preparing a work plan to prioritize the building’s code violations and expected the building’s office phone and email to be established within days for resident communication with Tarantino staff. Salmerón said residents should expect direct communications from Tarantino Property Management.
Rental License, Rent Collection
Terri Hruby, the city’s Planning and Community Development director, explained that her office issued a three-month conditional, temporary license to Tarantino. The license will remain valid as long as Tarantino makes acceptable progress toward addressing property maintenance violations that her office identified for immediate and priority action. Tarantino was to provide payment instructions to residents and begin collecting rents effective March 1. When all open violations are abated, the city will issue a non-conditional license, valid until the property’s annual license renewal date in August 2024.
Utilities and Trash
WSSC issued a February 22 notice for water and sewer charges unpaid since August 2023, upon which the city negotiated a hold on disconnecting water and sewer service. Tarantino is addressing unpaid bills from WSSC, Pepco, Washington Gas and the waste collection service. On February 28, Greenbelt Public Works staff cleared the building’s trash chute which was full up to the eighth floor, the building’s top floor.
City Commitment
Mayor Emmett Jordan said, “We are relieved that the ongoing issues with Charlestowne North … are being resolved. Our residents can now begin to return to a sense of normalcy and stability with their living arrangements. We are also thankful that, as a team, we were able to help our constituents in their time of need.” Salmerón said, “This is a crucial step toward resuming normal operations and ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents at Charlestowne North Apartments, but much work remains to ensure the long-term sustainability of the property. We remain committed to supporting the residents and working with the lenders, property management and residents during this process.” He emphasized the city’s continuing commitment to communicate prompt updates to residents to ensure they have legitimate information throughout this process.