PINE COUNTY, MN — A landlord is accused of violating Minnesota’s “stay at home” order, as well as the state’s landlord-tenant laws, during the new coronavirus crisis. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed an enforcement action against Pine County landlord Howard Mostad.
Authorities say Mostad entered his tenants’ home in Sandstone against their wishes, disconnected their electricity service, and attempted to pressure them to vacate the property.
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The tenants were sheltering in place in the home with their four-year-old daughter who has an underlying health condition that makes her especially vulnerable to the exposure of COVID-19, according to authorities.
Ellison’s office is seeking emergency relief from the court to restore the tenants’ utility services and prevent the landlord from interfering with their continued residency during the peacetime emergency.
Copies of the attorney general’s complaint against Mostad and motion for temporary restraining order are available online.
“Now is the time for Minnesotans to turn toward each other, not away from each other,” Ellison said in a statement.
“Most people, businesses, and landlords are doing the right thing during the crisis. For those landlords who aren’t, let this case serve as a warning to you: if you take illegal actions to force your tenants to vacate their property during this emergency, my office will take swift and strong action against you.”
Ellison is asking Minnesotans who believe they are being wrongly forced out of their home during the peacetime emergency to contact his office.
“We are committed to putting a stop to conduct like this so that Minnesotans can live with the dignity, safety, and respect we all need to navigate our way through this crisis,” he added.
Under Walz’s Executive Order 20-14, property owners are prohibited from filing eviction actions or terminating residential leases for the duration of the COVID-19 peacetime emergency. Ellison’s office says he has the authority to enforce this executive order.
In addition, it is illegal under Minnesota’s landlord-tenant laws for a landlord to interrupt or cause the interruption of electricity, heat, gas, or water services to a tenant and the disconnection of such services is considered a constructive eviction, according to authorities.
Ellison’s office is seeking permanent injunctive relief, civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation, restitution for the residents, damages under Minnesota’s landlord-tenant laws, and its costs and fees, according to a news release.
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