Seldin Company lawsuits span federally subsidized eviction disputes, mold and habitability claims, a pending federal case in Nebraska, and a steady flow of tenant complaints about maintenance and billing at the properties it manages. Seldin is an Omaha-based property management firm founded in 1923 that oversees more than 22,000 apartment units across 14 states, including conventional, HUD-assisted, Housing Tax Credit, and senior living properties.1Seldin Company. Seldin Company Homepage
Seldin Company v. Calabro: Illegal Late Fees in a HUD Eviction
The most legally significant decision involving the company is Seldin Company v. Calabro, decided by the Iowa Court of Appeals on March 31, 2005. Seldin managed Featherstone Apartments, a HUD-subsidized complex, and tried to evict tenant Amberleah Calabro after serving a notice demanding $203.00 covering past-due rent, a late fee, and a maintenance charge. Under company policy, tenant payments were applied first to accumulated late fees and other charges before rent, which could produce an apparent rent delinquency even when the tenant had paid.2Findlaw. Seldin Company v. Calabro
The appeals court reversed the eviction. It found Seldin’s $25.00 late fee exceeded HUD’s cap of $5.00 plus $1.00 per day, and it held that neither HUD policy nor the lease itself allowed eviction for unpaid late fees. Because the pay-or-quit notice bundled illegal late fees, premature maintenance charges, and actual rent into one demand, the court ruled the entire notice invalid. Calabro had no fair way to cure a breach when the demand itself included charges she did not owe. The court also reversed an award of attorney fees to Seldin, finding her initial shortfall stemmed from errors in her public assistance rather than any willful refusal to pay.2Findlaw. Seldin Company v. Calabro
The ruling established that a landlord receiving HUD subsidies cannot use payment-application accounting to manufacture a rent delinquency and cannot lump disputed fees into a single eviction demand.
Leafty v. Seldin: Mold and Habitability
In April 2017, Lincoln, Nebraska resident Jacqueline Leafty sued Seldin Company and property owner Affordable Housing West L.P. in Lancaster County District Court over mold in her duplex at 1741 S.W. 10th Street. According to the complaint, Leafty repeatedly reported black mold on her bedroom ceiling. She alleged Seldin’s response was to spray the area with chemicals and tell her no mold was present. A third-party inspection later identified Stachybotrys mold spores in the unit, a particularly harmful variety.3Mold Inspection and Test. Lincoln Resident Sues Landlord Over Mold in Her Duplex
Leafty was diagnosed with fungal pneumonia. The lawsuit alleged the illness caused permanent lung damage and ongoing breathing problems, and she sought $31,623.16 in medical expenses along with damages for illness, moving costs, legal fees, and pain and suffering. The complaint alleged the property owners failed to provide a safe, habitable home and deliberately misled her about the mold. Then-president Bob Dean said he needed to review the complaint with staff and legal counsel. No public resolution of the case appears in the available record.
Triplett v. Seldin Company: Pending Federal Suit
Triplett v. Seldin Company is pending in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska under case number 8:23-cv-00185. Plaintiff Sheila Lynn Triplett has sued Seldin Company and four individual defendants: CEO Alicia Clark, Senior Vice President Jenny Clayton, local manager Ashley McKibbin, and regional portfolio manager Sheri Ware.4GovInfo. Triplett v. Seldin Company, Case No. 8:23-cv-00185
The available docket entries show the parties jointly requested a protective order, which Magistrate Judge Jacqueline M. DeLuca granted on September 6, 2024. The specific claims and current status of the case are not detailed in the public records reviewed. The naming of multiple Seldin executives individually suggests allegations directed at management conduct, but the nature of those allegations cannot be confirmed from the available record.
Tenant Complaints About Maintenance and Billing
Beyond formal litigation, Seldin faces a recurring pattern of tenant complaints. As of mid-2026, the Better Business Bureau lists 30 complaints against the company over the previous three years, with seven filed in the most recent 12 months.5Better Business Bureau. Seldin Company BBB Complaints
The complaints cluster around three recurring themes:
- Maintenance and repairs, including delayed or ignored work orders, pest infestations (mice, bed bugs, roaches), non-working appliances, plumbing failures, and broken security doors.
- Billing disputes, including unexpected rent increases, unauthorized fees, payment portal errors, and security deposit conflicts.
- Management responsiveness, including difficulty reaching onsite managers, poor communication about lease terms and maintenance timelines, and unprofessional staff behavior.
Of the 30 complaints, Seldin responded to 24, but consumers either rejected the response or did not confirm satisfaction. Six were resolved to the tenant’s satisfaction. Typical responses acknowledge frustration and direct the tenant to a corporate email address for further review; in some cases the company has confirmed correcting administrative errors such as incorrect fees or ledger mistakes.5Better Business Bureau. Seldin Company BBB Complaints
Recent complaints show the range. In January 2026, a tenant reported severe habitability problems including sewer backups, pest infestations, and lack of heat; Seldin responded that it could not identify the specific property and requested more details. In late 2025, a tenant at the Onyx at Aksarben complex alleged a mouse infestation and an unauthorized lease renewal. Another tenant at Ontario Place Apartments reported a physical assault by a neighbor and complained that management failed to ensure her safety afterward. Seldin waived the early termination fee, but the tenant remained dissatisfied.5Better Business Bureau. Seldin Company BBB Complaints
Warth v. Seldin Is a Different Case
Searches for “Seldin” and “lawsuit” often surface Warth v. Seldin, the 1975 U.S. Supreme Court standing decision. That case has no connection to the Omaha property management firm. The “Seldin” named there was Ira Seldin, a member of the Penfield, New York zoning and planning boards, and the case concerned an exclusionary zoning challenge in which the Court held 5-4 that the plaintiffs lacked standing.6Justia. Warth v. Seldin, 422 U.S. 490 If you are researching the property manager, that Supreme Court case is not part of its litigation history.
What Tenants Can Take From These Cases
For tenants in Seldin-managed properties, the Calabro decision is the most concrete legal takeaway: in HUD-subsidized units, late fees are capped by federal regulation, late fees alone cannot support an eviction, and a pay-or-quit notice that combines improper charges with rent may be invalid on its face. The Leafty complaint and the BBB record show mold, pest, and repair problems have been a repeated source of dispute, and tenants documenting habitability issues should keep written records of every report and response. Where Seldin has corrected billing errors after BBB complaints, tenants disputing fees have a documented path for escalation beyond onsite management.