Hawthorne Residential Partners, a Greensboro-based multifamily manager operating across the Southeast and Texas, has been sued over eviction fees, age discrimination, and a fair housing claim. The most significant Hawthorne Residential Partners lawsuit was a North Carolina class action that resolved for nearly $880,000 in 2023 over automatic eviction-related charges. The employment cases ended in dismissal or private resolution, and the fair housing complaint was dismissed as frivolous.
The $880,000 Eviction Fee Class Action
Keosha Johnson v. Hawthorne Residential Partners was filed in 2023 in North Carolina federal court before Judge William L. Osteen Jr. Tenants alleged Hawthorne automatically imposed three separate fees whenever eviction proceedings were initiated against a resident, and that the practice violated state consumer protection laws.1Jonathon Spire Law. The Hawthorne Residential Partners Lawsuit
The case settled for nearly $880,000, reported in August 2023.2Law360. NC Tenants Win $880K in Eviction Fee Class Action The specific dollar amounts and labels attached to the three challenged fees were not detailed in publicly available reporting.
Age Discrimination Suits by Former Employees
Two federal cases have alleged age-based employment discrimination.
In 2019, Blaise Lanzi sued Hawthorne Residential Partners and White Eagle Property Group in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Lanzi v. Hawthorne Residential Partners LLC (2:19-cv-02124) was terminated in February 2021. Public records do not specify whether the case ended through settlement, dismissal, or another resolution.3CourtListener. Lanzi v. Hawthorne Residential Partners LLC
A second case, Noronha v. Hawthorne Residential Partners (0:24-cv-61922), was filed in October 2024 in the Southern District of Florida after the plaintiff received an EEOC right-to-sue letter. The parties filed a stipulation of dismissal with prejudice on February 26, 2025, and Judge William P. Dimitrouleas approved it the next day.4PACER Monitor. Noronha v. Hawthorne Residential Partners A dismissal with prejudice following a joint stipulation typically indicates the parties reached a private settlement, though no terms were made public.
Fair Housing Case Dismissed as Frivolous
In January 2025, a pro se plaintiff identified as Jehramyus sued Hawthorne in the Northern District of Georgia, alleging Fair Housing Act violations tied to a failure to provide disability accommodations.5PACER Monitor. Jehramyus v. Hawthorne Residential Partners LLC On February 23, 2026, Judge Victoria M. Calvert dismissed the amended complaint without prejudice and denied a motion to compel service as moot. The court’s judgment described the action as “frivolous.”
Tenant Complaints Beyond the Courtroom
Formal lawsuits are only part of the record. As of mid-2026, the Better Business Bureau listed 146 complaints filed against Hawthorne over the prior three years, 48 of them closed within the most recent twelve months. Of the 146, the company answered 120 and 26 were classified as resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction.6Better Business Bureau. Hawthorne Residential Partners LLC Complaints Hawthorne retains an A+ BBB rating and accredited business status.
Service and repair issues make up the largest category with 66 complaints, covering mold, pest infestations, HVAC failures, and units alleged to be uninhabitable at move-in. Billing complaints number 28 and include allegations of bait-and-switch pricing, disputed administrative fees, unauthorized unit transfers, and unexpected rent increases. Another 39 complaints fall under product and order issues, often overlapping with maintenance and leasing disputes.
Specific complaints show how these disputes play out. In an August 2025 filing, a resident alleged mold growth and poor air circulation; Hawthorne responded that it had offered to waive a $3,242 lease buyout fee and the 60-day notice requirement while asking the resident to repay roughly $2,931 in previously used rent concessions. In another complaint the same month, a resident claimed property damage exceeding $55,000 from microbial growth and said the company failed to provide proper insurance contact information; Hawthorne stated that independent inspections by its remediation vendors did not identify active mold.7Better Business Bureau. Hawthorne Residential Partners LLC Complaints – Page 4 In its responses generally, Hawthorne has asserted that its actions follow standard lease terms and corporate policies, and has characterized billing adjustments as courtesies rather than obligations.
What North Carolina Tenants Can Do About Deposits and Move-Out Charges
Many disputes involving Hawthorne touch security deposits and move-out charges, which North Carolina’s Tenant Security Deposit Act governs. A landlord must return the deposit or provide an itemized statement of deductions within 30 days of the end of a tenancy. If damages cannot yet be determined, an interim accounting is due at 30 days and a final accounting at 60 days.8North Carolina Real Estate Commission. Tenant Security Deposits
Deductions are limited to damage beyond ordinary wear and tear. Routine painting or carpet cleaning generally cannot be charged to a tenant unless the unit was left in a condition that required extraordinary measures. Lease provisions waiving a tenant’s right to a deposit refund are void, and a tenant who believes a deposit was wrongfully withheld can file in small claims court.9Legal Aid of North Carolina. Housing: Your Security Deposit Those protections matter for the recurring move-out billing disputes in the BBB record, where residents have contested charges they say fell within normal wear and tear.