Bautista v. Monarch Investments

If you signed a lease agreement for a Monarch Investment and Management Group property in Minnesota prior to February 1, 2022, you may be eligible for a cash payment from a class action Settlement.

A settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit filed against Monarch Investment and Management Group, LLC and Monarch Management, Inc. (“Defendants” or “MIMG”). The full list of the Defendants can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page of this website (see FAQ 1). Plaintiffs allege the Defendants, through their advertising, leasing, collection, and eviction practices, (a) have violated Minnesota’s Prevention of Consumer Fraud Act § 325F.69, Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act § 325D.44, Plain Language Contract Act § 325G.31, Single Metered Utility Billing Statute § 504B.215; (b) have breached contracts with Plaintiffs and other contracts whereby Plaintiffs are intended beneficiaries; (c) have breached the covenants of landlords under Minn. Stat. 504B.161; and (d) should not be entitled to collect certain debts Plaintiffs owe as a result of the violations. The Defendants deny these allegations. The Court has not decided who is right.

You are a “Settlement Class Member” if you were a tenant of MIMG during the Class Period and (i) are or were a party to a lease agreement as a lessee at any property in Minnesota at a time when MIMG owned or acquired ownership of the property, (ii) entered into a lease agreement as a lessee at any property in Minnesota owned by MIMG, which lease terminated before February 1, 2022, (iii) as of February 1, 2022 were a party to a lease agreement as a lessee with MIMG in Minnesota and/or (iv) were parties to a lease agreement with MIMG at Eden Park Apartments or City Limits Apartment before June 1, 2024.

The Settlement Class is further broken into a “First Utilities Subclass” and a “Second Utilities Subclass” that are more fully defined in FAQ 4.

All Settlement Class Members can file a Claim Form to receive a $125 cash payment. You may also make an additional claim if you are a member of one of the two Subclasses. If you are in the First Utilities Subclass, you are eligible to receive 115% of all water and sewer charges you paid from the beginning of your eligible lease through February 1, 2022. If you are in the Second Utilities Subclass, you are eligible to receive 115% of all water and sewer charges you paid from the beginning of your eligible lease through June 1, 2024. The amount you paid during the Utilities Subclass period will be calculated according to the Single Meter Payment Protocol.

Read this website and the Notice carefully. Your legal rights are affected whether you act or do not act.

Your Legal Rights and Options in This Settlement

Your Legal Rights and Options		Deadline
Submit a Claim Form	The only way to get a cash payment is to submit a valid and timely Claim Form. See FAQ 5 and FAQ 6 for more information on submitting a Claim Form.	Postmarked by September 16, 2025
Exclude Yourself	Get no cash payment and keep any right to file your own lawsuit against the Released Parties about the legal claims in this lawsuit that are released by the Settlement (“Settlement Agreement”). See FAQ 13 and FAQ 14 for more information on excluding yourself from the Settlement.	Postmarked by February 14, 2025
Object	Tell the Court why you do not like the Settlement. You will still be bound by the Settlement if the Court approves it and you may still file a Claim Form and receive a cash payment. See FAQ 15 for more information on objecting to the Settlement.	Received by February 14, 2025
Do Nothing	Get no cash payment. Give up your legal rights.

These rights and options—and the deadlines to exercise them—are explained further in the Notice and on the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page of this website.