BILLINGS— A Billings tenant union demanded in a Thursday afternoon press conference that their corporate landlord address property issues the tenants claim have continued for years.
Approximately a dozen tenants from midtown Billings Rose Park Plaza Apartments attended the conference on the Yellowstone County Courthouse lawn, where some shared their experience interacting with their corporate landlord, New York-based Capital Realty Group.
Watch to see why these tenants are demanding action:
Issues reported include but are not limited to delayed repairs, pest infestations, mold, holes in the wall and management neglect.
Related: Billings apartment complex residents forming tenant union
“I have holes in my walls. My doors don’t shut right. The bathroom door, if you go in there and shut it tight to take a shower, you're stuck until it cools down because the heat makes it expand. Closet doors, they fall off constantly and they fall on my grandkids,” said Debi Eldridge, a Rose Park Plaza tenant of four years.
The tenants officially formed Rose Park Plaza Tenant Union with the help of Bozeman Tenants United in September.
The union is joining six other unions across the country that have formed in the Capital Realty Group’s portfolio.
Capital Realty Group acquires, redevelops and manages subsidized housing across the country. The corporation owns an estimated 14,000 units of housing across 28 states.
Rose Park Plaza Tenant Union represents 112 apartment units and, according to Bozeman Tenants United, it is the first tenant union in Billings.
“I had no idea there were so many people that were going through some of the same stuff I was going through. I had no idea,” said union vice president and tenant of four years Chuck Williams.
Williams claimed the complex would do remodels but leave a mess behind.
“We see the rot, the neglect, the disregard every single day. We have endured a so-called remodel that's dragged on over a year, turning our lives into a construction zone. We are forced to live with mold that poisons our air, water damage that destroys our property, and holes in the walls that go unaddressed,” said Williams, in a statement at the conference.
According to union president Sara Graff, 60% of the tenants have signed on to join the union.
“We hold power in numbers, and we would love to see this spread across Billings,” said Graff, who has lived in Rose Park Plaza for six years.
The union attempted to meet with Capital Realty Group President Moshe Eichler in September to discuss reported issues, but he did not show up to the meeting.
Graff said communication with the corporation and access to information has been limited.
“I was getting information off the Capital Realty website one day, and then that night when I went back, you had to have a username and user ID. You could no longer just access public information about the company. They removed their New York office off of Facebook. It's not even a listing there anymore,” said Graff.
She also expressed frustration over the lack of maintenance accessibility. The apartment complex has one maintenance employee for the 112 units.
“We're all dealing with the same problems. Some of them being more severe than others. But we're hoping for appropriate staff. We were trying to explain to the asset manager that we felt that one maintenance person was not sufficient. And he sat there telling us at the table that he felt that that was an unreasonable ask,” said Graff.
Capital Realty Group acquired Rose Park Plaza in 2017 for $9.7 million. According to Bozeman Tenants United, the corporation spent $119,833 on repairs in 2024, about 9% of their total revenue of $1,336,999 for that year.
Pressure from the union has resulted in Capital Realty hiring a property manager and promising pest control and mold remediation. Tenants plan to hold the corporation accountable to these agreements.
There has been no legal action so far against Capital Realty Group, but the union has received attention from Montana and Billings leaders, who spoke at the conference.
“It is a legal and moral responsibility of Capital Realty Group and Mr. Eichler to ensure their tenants live in safe, habitable and accessible homes,” said Montana Representative Denise Baum at the conference.
“Nobody was asking for special treatment. Nobody was asking for handouts. Nobody was asking to be paid attention to in a way that is outside of what they signed on their lease agreement,” added Patrick Olp, who is running for Billings City Council Ward 5.
"I see a group of people, neighbors, who have each other's backs and who are standing here and standing up for what is right. I see regular people demanding for what is right. Rose Park class of tenants, you may not realize it, but you are leading the way in our community. You are leading by example. You are showing each other and the rest of buildings what it means to stand up for something important," said Montana State Senator Emma Kerr-Carpenter.
"All these tenants want Capital Realty to do is to follow the law. Mold is unacceptable. Bugs are unacceptable. Not being able to lock your door and have it stay locked is unacceptable. Here's the thing, apartments are not financial vehicles for corporations to squeeze and exploit for profit," added Montana State Representative James Reavis.
MTN called and emailed Capital Realty Group and did not receive a comment.
