The Hawthorne Residential Partners lawsuit does not refer to one single case. Hawthorne Residential Partners, LLC, a property management company, has been named in multiple lawsuits involving tenants, employees, personal injuries and housing-related claims.
One of the most important cases for tenants was the Keosha Johnson class action in North Carolina, which resulted in a court-approved settlement providing a $500,000 cash fund plus more than $2.7 million in debt relief.
There are also newer cases involving Hawthorne in Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. These cases involve different allegations and should not be treated as part of the old North Carolina settlement.
What Is Hawthorne Residential Partners?
Hawthorne Residential Partners is a property management company that operates and manages apartment communities in several U.S. states.
Because it manages rental properties, many disputes involving the company concern the relationship between landlords and tenants. These can include:
- Lease disputes
- Eviction-related fees
- Security deposits
- Property maintenance
- Personal injuries
- Disability accommodations
- Alleged housing discrimination
- Employment disputes
A lawsuit or complaint represents allegations by a plaintiff. It does not automatically mean Hawthorne was found legally responsible.
The $3.2 Million Hawthorne Class Action
The most significant tenant class action associated with Hawthorne is Keosha Johnson v. Hawthorne Residential Partners LLC et al., Case No. 18CVS009120-910, in Wake County Superior Court in North Carolina.
The lawsuit was originally filed in July 2018.
The plaintiffs alleged that Hawthorne and related defendants automatically charged certain tenants several fees when eviction proceedings were started.
The disputed charges included:
- A $96 eviction complaint filing fee
- A $30 service fee
- An attorney’s fee
The lawsuit also alleged that collection letters threatened to charge or collect these fees.
What Was the Hawthorne Settlement Amount?
The settlement provided:
| Settlement benefit | Amount |
| Cash settlement fund | $500,000 |
| Debt relief | $2,776,916.62 |
| Total stated tenant benefit | $3,276,916.62 |
So the commonly reported $3.2 million Hawthorne settlement is based on the $500,000 cash fund plus approximately $2.78 million in debt relief.
This is important because the entire $3.2 million was not paid as cash checks.
A substantial part of the settlement was cancellation or relief of qualifying outstanding debt.
Who Was Covered by the North Carolina Settlement?
The court-approved settlement created two settlement classes.
Eviction Fee Class
This generally covered qualifying individuals who:
- Lived at a North Carolina property owned or managed by the defendants;
- Were within the specified class period;
- Were charged the disputed eviction fees; and
- Paid those fees.
The relevant period was generally June 20, 2014, through June 25, 2018.
Collection Letter Class
The second group generally involved qualifying tenants who received the disputed collection letters during the applicable period.
The court document states that the Collection Letter Class was allocated $50,000 from the cash fund, with unused amounts potentially reallocated to the Eviction Fee Class.
How Much Did Eligible Tenants Receive?
The court’s final approval order stated that members of the Eviction Fee Class were expected to receive approximately $50 each, subject to the settlement’s participation and allocation rules.
Members of the Collection Letter Class were eligible for $20 per qualifying collection letter, up to $60, subject to the settlement terms.
The much larger part of the settlement was the $2,776,916.62 in outstanding debt relief.
Therefore, articles claiming that every Hawthorne tenant received thousands of dollars would be misleading.
Was Hawthorne Found Guilty?
No.
This was a civil class action, not a criminal prosecution.
The court’s final approval order specifically describes the allegations made by the plaintiffs. The case had also gone through significant litigation before the parties reached a settlement.
In fact, the court had previously ruled in Hawthorne’s favor on the underlying fee issue after determining that a 2021 amendment to North Carolina law applied retroactively. The plaintiff appealed, and the parties subsequently negotiated the settlement while the appeal was pending.
The settlement therefore should not be described as a court finding that Hawthorne committed fraud or illegally charged every tenant.
When Was the Settlement Approved?
The parties finalized their settlement agreement on May 16, 2023.
The court preliminarily approved the settlement on May 26, 2023.
A fairness hearing was held on August 10, 2023, and the court granted final approval.
The court found the settlement fair, reasonable and adequate and stated that no settlement-class member had objected or opted out.
Is the $3.2 Million Hawthorne Settlement Still Open?
No.
The North Carolina class action is an older, completed settlement.
It should not be confused with newer lawsuits involving Hawthorne Residential Partners.
If you are currently a Hawthorne tenant and have a new dispute, the 2023 settlement does not automatically give you a right to compensation.
New Hawthorne Residential Partners Lawsuits in 2026
There are newer cases involving Hawthorne that concern different legal issues.
Georgia Fair Housing Lawsuit
In Jehramyus v. Hawthorne Residential Partners LLC, Case No. 1:2025cv00304, a plaintiff sued Hawthorne in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
The case was filed on January 24, 2025.
The federal docket identifies the nature of the lawsuit as Civil Rights: Accommodations and cites the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3601.
This case involves alleged housing-accommodation issues and is separate from the North Carolina eviction-fee settlement.
The allegations have not been established as facts merely because they were included in a complaint.
Florida Employment Lawsuit
Another 2026 case is Underwood v. Hawthorne Residential Partners, LLC, Case No. 2:2026cv00056.
It was filed on January 13, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
Unlike the tenant cases, this lawsuit is classified as a Fair Labor Standards Act case.
That means it should not be presented as another Hawthorne tenant class action.
Florida Housing Case
Public federal court records also show a 2026 case involving Bryona Weaver v. Hawthorne Residential Partners, LLC, filed June 25, 2026, in the Middle District of Florida.
The docket classifies the case as a civil-rights accommodation matter and identifies 42 U.S.C. § 1981 as the cause of action.
Again, this is a separate case.
South Carolina Personal Injury Case
Another case is Watts v. Rivarel LLC et al., which names Hawthorne Residential Partners among the defendants.
The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina and is classified as a personal injury case.
This lawsuit should not be combined with the North Carolina class action simply because Hawthorne is a defendant.
Are There Hawthorne Lawsuits About Unsafe Apartments?
There have been individual complaints and lawsuits concerning property conditions and alleged injuries.
However, online tenant complaints are different from court findings.
For example, the Better Business Bureau currently lists numerous complaints involving Hawthorne properties, including disputes about maintenance, lease terms, move-out charges, collections and refunds. Hawthorne has provided responses to some of those complaints.
BBB complaints can show that residents have raised concerns, but they are not the same as court judgments and should not be treated as proof that a company violated the law.
Is There a New Hawthorne Class Action in 2026?
There is not one nationwide Hawthorne Residential Partners class action covering all tenants.
The North Carolina case was a specific class action involving specific properties, fees and historical dates.
Other cases involving Hawthorne are separate lawsuits with their own plaintiffs, allegations and legal standards.
This distinction is important for anyone searching for a “Hawthorne Residential Partners class action settlement” online.
Can Current Hawthorne Tenants Get Settlement Money?
Not automatically.
Being a current or former Hawthorne tenant does not by itself qualify you for the old settlement.
The North Carolina settlement was tied to specific conduct, properties and dates.
If you have a current dispute involving Hawthorne, keep records such as:
- Your lease
- Rent payment records
- Move-in and move-out documents
- Security-deposit statements
- Maintenance requests
- Photos and videos
- Emails and text messages
- Notices from management
- Eviction documents
- Collection letters
- Receipts for repairs or other expenses
These records can be useful if you need to discuss your situation with a tenant-rights attorney or government agency.
Does the Hawthorne Lawsuit Affect Your Lease?
Not automatically.
A lawsuit involving Hawthorne does not automatically cancel a tenant’s lease, stop an eviction or eliminate rent obligations.
Tenant rights depend heavily on the state and the specific facts.
If you have received an eviction notice or court papers, do not assume an old class action protects you. A current legal dispute may require separate action.
Hawthorne Residential Partners Lawsuit Timeline
| Date | Event |
| July 2018 | Keosha Johnson class action filed in North Carolina |
| 2021 | North Carolina law amended |
| June 2022 | Court ruled on the disputed eviction-fee issue |
| July 2022 | Plaintiff appealed |
| May 16, 2023 | Settlement agreement finalized |
| May 26, 2023 | Settlement preliminarily approved |
| August 10, 2023 | Final settlement approval |
| January 24, 2025 | Georgia Fair Housing case filed |
| January 13, 2026 | Florida FLSA case filed |
| June 25, 2026 | Florida civil-rights case filed |
| August 2026 | Multiple separate Hawthorne-related cases remain distinct |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Hawthorne Residential Partners lawsuit?
The term refers to multiple lawsuits involving Hawthorne Residential Partners. The most notable tenant class action was the North Carolina Keosha Johnson case involving alleged eviction-related fees.
How much was the Hawthorne settlement?
The North Carolina settlement included a $500,000 cash fund and $2,776,916.62 in debt relief, for a combined tenant benefit of approximately $3.28 million.
Is the $3.2 million Hawthorne settlement still available?
No. The North Carolina settlement was approved in 2023 and is not a new 2026 claim opportunity.
Did every Hawthorne tenant receive money?
No. Only people who met the settlement’s specific class definitions were eligible.
Is Hawthorne facing new lawsuits in 2026?
Yes. Public court records show separate cases involving Hawthorne in areas including fair-housing accommodations, employment law and personal injury.
Is there a nationwide Hawthorne class action?
No single nationwide class action has been established covering all Hawthorne tenants.
Can I sue Hawthorne for problems at my apartment?
Possibly, depending on your circumstances and state law. A tenant-rights or housing attorney can evaluate whether your facts support a legal claim.
Does a Hawthorne lawsuit prove the company did something wrong?
No. Lawsuits contain allegations. Liability must be established through a judgment, settlement terms or another legal resolution.
Bottom Line
The Hawthorne Residential Partners lawsuit search mainly points to the Keosha Johnson North Carolina class action, which received final approval in 2023 and provided a $500,000 cash fund plus $2.78 million in debt relief. That settlement is closed. Hawthorne also faces separate lawsuits in 2025 and 2026, but those cases involve different allegations and should not be treated as one nationwide class action or settlement.