A Boston-based real estate company in which both Harvard and Yale invest has settled out of court with residents of a Framingham apartment complex who accused the company last year of harassment and intimidation.
According to tenants’ affidavits, filed in June 2001, Realty Financial Partners sent representatives posing as federal agents to 17 tenants’ apartments in an effort to force them from their homes and devalue their property.
Only shortly before the incidents, the firm had taken the property over from its previous owner, Stanley Budryk, who allegedly owed the firm over $1 million.
The tenants, many of whom were recent immigrants from Latin America, charged that three men carrying walkie-talkies banged on their doors late in the evening of Feb. 28, 2001 and directed them to send their rent payments to Realty Financial Partners rather than to Budryk.
A new set of affidavits, filed earlier this year, then charged that the company tried to intimidate the tenants into dropping their law suit by questioning their citizenship status.
Though Harvard invests in the firm, it is not involved with its management, said University spokesperson Joe Wrinn.
“That investment does not mean we take part in the day-to-day activities,” Wrinn said. “They are responsible and we would hope this action is not occurring.”
Boston attorney Isaac Peres, who represents the tenants, filed a motion Monday to dismiss the case, which was scheduled to begin on January 6.
He said that the firm’s involvement with prestigious universities like Harvard did not impact the case.
“The matter is settled, it has come to an end. The case is over and there are no more allegations of wrongdoing,” Peres said. He would not disclose the details of the settlement.
“As a result of reaching a mutual agreement in this case, the parties no longer contend that any party committed any wrongdoing...We are pleased that after working cooperatively, this matter has been resolved,” read a joint statement issued Monday by Peres and Realty Financial Partners.
—Staff writer Faryl W. Ury can be reached at ury@fas.harvard.edu.
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