Restraining order halts eviction efforts against Fleming County tenant union over pro-union signs

A Franklin County judge has told the ownership company of a Fleming County apartment complex to halt any efforts to evict members of a tenant union there over placing pro-union signage in apartment windows.

Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd issued a temporary restraining order on Sept. 21 against Ridgeway Park Owner LLC, the company that owns Ridgeway Park Apartments in the Fleming County seat of Flemingsburg. That company is a part of a web of companies associated with Texas-based company OSPM LLC. 

The tenant union at the Ridgeway Park Apartments is one of several tenant unions at properties associated with Texas-based property management company OSPM LLC. The statewide group Kentucky Tenant Union helped organize and support those tenant unions; Kentucky Tenant Union announced earlier this year that those tenant unions won a collectively bargained lease with OSPM LLC, the group calling it the first of its kind in the U.S. South.

But enforcing the terms of that lease — including a term that tenant union members can not be retaliated against — has been another issue. The Ridgeway Park Tenant Union filed its lawsuit in Franklin County on Sept. 15 seeking to stop property managers working OSPM for threatening eviction against the tenant union over displaying signs that say “TENANT UNION PROUD!” The complaint shows photos of lease violations received by tenants over “signage” issues. 

Mary Lou Abner, a vice president of the Ridgeway Park Tenant Union, told the Lantern Wednesday that the management company for the apartment complex is still retaliating against members of the tenant union, and some tenant union members are still afraid to display signage.

“The signs mean everything to us. It brought us power,” Abner said. “We’re fighting for things that we didn’t even know we could fight for — you know, our rights, renters’ rights.” 

The lawsuit against the management company, a part of OSPM LLC, also states the company has failed to deliver on other parts of the lease, including the installation of security lights and the cleaning of air duct work. Abner, who has been at the apartment complex for over 20 years, said the turnover of property managers has also been significant — seven different managers in over two years. 

Jason Ostro, listed as the chief operating officer for OSPM LCC on LinkedIn, told the Lantern he disputes several aspects of the lawsuit, which has been made more complicated by a reorganization of the parent company of Ridgeway Park Apartments. He said the apartment complex had “house rules” at the apartment complex that don’t allow signage except in community areas. 

“I want to be transparent. I want to get things resolved,” Ostro said. “We want to make things work within reason.” 

Andrew Chandler, an attorney for the tenant union, disputed that such a rule existed in the lease. Chandler said there have been years of “broken promises” with this particular landlord. He said getting a collectively bargained lease that can be enforced in court and gives tenants power, arguing the next step is to make sure other parts of the lease agreement are followed. 

“They’re going to change the landlord-tenant relationship forever,” Chandler said about collectively bargained leases. “They’re going to give power to tenants to be able to see their rights vindicated in court. And this is the first step in the victory for that.” 

The tenant union is planning a Friday afternoon “celebration” of the restraining order at the Fleming County apartment complex with an appearance from Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker. 

In a provided statement, Booker said he was “proud” to stand with the tenant union, and that the “thought of a landlord trying to evict residents simply for posting ‘Tenant Union Strong!’ signs in their own homes is, frankly, despicable.”