A settlement with Hampton Roads landlord David Merryman, who is already serving prison time for fraud, is forcing him to unwind his Virginia rental business after courts found he retaliated against tenants who requested repairs and used racist and sexist slurs.
As part of the agreement, Merryman has to sell more than 60 Virginia properties, pay $2.5 million to former renters, and is permanently banned from working as a landlord anywhere in the state, according to Virginia Mercury.
Here's what to know
Court findings said Merryman retaliated against tenants who asked for repairs and directed racist and sexist slurs at renters who were mostly Black women.
The case was filed in 2021 by former Attorney General Mark Herring and later finished by Attorney General Jay Jones, the outlet reported. Jones said that the recovery is the largest ever awarded to victims in a Virginia fair housing case.
Lorraine Patterson-Davidson and her daughter, Edwina Patterson, said the settlement may help cover some of the money they lost through ignored repairs, repeated eviction filings, and being forced out. Still, they said it cannot bring back everything that was taken from them.
"There is no money that can compensate for a Bible that's over 100 years old," Patterson-Davidson told Virginia Mercury, in reference to a lost bible during displacement. "Nothing can replace that."
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The agreement also calls for eviction records connected to Merryman's former tenants to be wiped from the books, according to the outlet.
Patterson said that removing those filings could finally improve her odds of qualifying for another rental home or apartment.
More background
The fallout left the family and others in precarious housing situations.
As Virginia Mercury reported, Patterson said she at times slept in her car, while Patterson-Davidson, a widowed military spouse with seven other children, said she had to stay with her adult children or in hotels because of the conditions linked to Merryman.
The women also described harassment that compounded those struggles.
"My son was afraid he was going to rape me," Patterson recalled to the outlet, adding that Merryman would show up at her home unannounced.
"He had pictures of her body parts," Patterson's mother said.
What's being done?
Virginia Mercury reported that civil rights attorney Helen Hardiman, who works in Jones' office, said that Merryman must make an initial payment, with sales of his Virginia properties expected to help cover the rest of the settlement.
She also said the office is working to identify more people harmed by Merryman and make sure relevant eviction records are addressed.
Another former tenant, Yugonda Sample-Jones, said fighting back in court led her into fair housing advocacy. She described helping other renters learn how tenant assertions work, allowing them to place rent into escrow instead of paying a landlord until serious maintenance issues are resolved.
Now, Merryman is out of the picture, and his victims can get some form of closure.
"I know that you've been through a lot," Jones said to the women, according to Virginia Mercury. "But I hope what you can take away from today is this idea that you did win and you have set an example for people all across Virginia."
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