The District of Columbia has won a $6.8 million judgment against A.J. Edwards Realty and its owner, Adolphe Edwards, for forcing tenants to live in hazardous and illegal conditions across nine apartment buildings in Wards 4 and 8.
D.C. Superior Court Judge Yvonne Williams ordered Edwards to pay $1,535,199.45 in restitution to nearly 100 tenants, $5 million in civil penalties to the District, and $300,247 in attorney fees and costs. The ruling follows a 2022 lawsuit by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), which detailed years of egregious code violations by Edwards and his company.
For decades, officials said Edwards owned and managed five buildings on and around Missouri Avenue NW and four on Alabama Avenue SE, housing more than 120 rental units. According to the OAG, tenants were subjected to conditions including water and sewage leaks, mold, collapsing ceilings, fire and electrical hazards, lead contamination, and infestations of rats and raccoons. Inspectors documented over 1,400 housing code violations and more than 7,200 violations of the District’s lead hazard laws.
Authorities said Edwards continued collecting rent while failing to remedy these conditions, even after receiving repeated administrative citations and court orders. He eventually agreed to court-mandated deadlines to make repairs. However, after failing to comply, he was found in civil contempt in 2023, and a receiver was appointed to take over the properties under the District’s Tenant Receivership Act.
Edwards later declared bankruptcy, and the Alabama Avenue properties were sold, while the Missouri Avenue buildings are currently being sold. The $6.8 million judgment, issued last month, will be paid through the bankruptcy process. OAG said it would continue to advocate in bankruptcy court to ensure rent refunds are distributed to impacted tenants.
The judge found that Edwards knowingly misrepresented the condition of his units, violated multiple provisions of the Lead-Hazard Prevention and Elimination Act, and engaged in deceptive practices under the District’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act. The court concluded that the violations were so serious and well-documented that no reasonable juror could rule in his favor.
“This is not just a legal outcome—it’s justice for residents who endured years of neglect,” Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb said. “Adolphe Edwards forced his tenants to live in squalor and then tried every trick in the book to avoid taking responsibility. This judgment is a significant victory for tenants and the District. When landlords put profits over tenants’ health and safety, the independent Office of Attorney General will use the law to hold them accountable and ensure that tenants receive the compensation they deserve.”
