Steward Manor is ending utilities included!!!

     They will start a new unfair utilities usage billing practice, they are calling Ratio Utilities Billing (RUBs). This isn’t the first time this complex has acted in an unethical and shameful way towards its residents. As residents we have a right to be treated fairly under both state and federal law. I’m doing all I can to protect everyone from being billed unfairly at a time money is tight for most people. In fact most residents picked this complex because utilities were all included. Steward Manor is violating the lease agreement as well by them randomly trying to bill extra for utilities. Please read below as it details the new billing practice Steward Manor plans to start asap. I even attached screen shots from an email Steward Manor sent out. It’s more questionable they only sent an email months ago knowing many of us wouldn’t see it. In fact if you read your leases agreement electronic notices like emails also violates the lease terms. Steward Manor never sent this notice to your apartment as required by the lease agreement because they didn’t want residents to have a chance to voice their concerns and petition this before it was launched. It’s truly shady complex would try and hide informing its residents about a major change like this. 

     This is a petition to prevent Southern Management Properties from starting their new Ratio Utilities Billing (RUBS) program on its steward manor residents. There is no legal way Steward Manor could properly determine the amount of utilities used by each unit in each building.

This means any rate they charge would not be a fair rate to a unit for their actually usage. It would also be double dipping as current lease agreements signed by current residents, prior to 10/25/21, state utilities are all included. This means they have already factored in utility cost in your monthly rent. Steward Manor plans to launch their RUBS program soon on current residents unless this petition is signed to put an end to it. They plan to take the total utilities cost per building, then evenly divid it up by the number of residents officially listed on your lease. That’s very important for several reasons as that isn’t a fair or valid way to bill utilities and there are several reasons why. 

     First, there are several units that have more residents living in a unit than what technically  should be. This is a lease violation but it’s one they don’t enforce or care about. This means a unit that should have 2 parties, but really has let’s say 6 total would use a lot more utilities than someone with 3 official residents on the lease. Yet the unit that should have 2 but has 6 would be bill less than someone with 3. If that helps explain how it’s unfair. 

     Secondly, not every resident is wasteful on their usage of utilities. This means a resident with 2 residents may use less utilities than someone with 1 resident who is very wasteful. This means someone would leaves water running for hours for a shower, or never turns off electricity. Those residents who are beyond wasteful will cause everyone utility rate to go up in cost which again isn’t fair. 

     Bottom line there is no legal way Steward Manor or Southern Management can properly bill any unit for their proper use of utilities. There is no way they will ever be able to properly bill residents unless they have major renovations done on every building to install meters for water, electricity, and gas. This is such a unrealistic project that it won’t happen there for Steward Manor can’t add extra cost for utilities.

     If you are a current resident and you wish to help stop this complex from billing you an unfair and improper utilities bill sign this petition. By signing this petition you are protected by maryland law from retaliation which means the complex can’t take action to try to evict you simply for signing this, or the state will consider that action a form of retaliation. We have rights as renters and we shouldn’t allow this company to take advantage of us and bill us an unfair rate for utilities.

If you have questions please send an email or a text. I plan to host a zoom meeting hopefully soon. If you have other concerns about issues this complex isn’t addressing please share with me asap and I’ll help as much as I can, contact me directly via text at 443-625-7841 or email stewardmanor.issues@gmail.com

Together we can stand up and prevent this horrible injustice from happening!!!  

PLEASE SHARE THIS LINK WITH OTHER RESIDENTS AS WE NEED AD MANY SIGNATURES AS POSSIBLE!!