'Housing cartel' landlords accused of price-fixing rent rates using automated software to maximize rental profits



Dozens of landlords are accused of price-fixing their rent rates through the use of the online software RealPage, a group of tenants alleged.

RealPage is a property management software that uses data to recommend pricing on millions of properties in the United States.

Tenants in Jersey City, New Jersey, have taken RealPage and 34 landlords to court in a class-action lawsuit regarding rent prices for a 527-unit building. The popular water-adjacent properties are located approximately 20 minutes from the World Trade Center.

Separately, the Department of Justice has also filed a statement of interest that alleges landlords shared non-public information with RealPage, including vacancy data, and relied on that information to inflate rental prices.

The automations must be "subject to the same condemnation" as price-fixing schemes, the DOJ said. "Long-standing legal principles apply with equal force to this new machinery," the department added, according to Reuters.

In November 2023, the attorney general of Washington, D.C., submitted a different complaint against RealPage and 14 other landlords.

These were not typical landlords. They operate more than a whopping 50,000 rental units in D.C. With that many units entered into an automated system, that can mean thousands of tenants simultaneously have their rent increased should the landlord choose to follow the recommendations.

"Effectively, RealPage is facilitating a housing cartel," Attorney General of the District of Columbia Brian Schwalb reportedly said. "Rather than making independent decisions on what the market here in D.C. calls for in terms of filling vacant units, landlords are compelled, under the terms of their agreement with RealPage, to charge what RealPage tells them," he continued.

"Defendants’ coordinated and anticompetitive conduct amounted to a district-wide housing cartel," Schwalb added.

Particularly, one of the tools used on the website is called YieldStar, which balances lease lengths, occupancy, and pricing data to optimize revenue.

"Just turning the system on will outperform your manual analyst. There’s almost no way it can’t," said Jeffrey Roper, a former RealPage employee and inventor of YieldStar.

RealPage told CNBC that its revenue management products use anonymized, aggregated data to deliver the pricing recommendations and can increase a landlord's revenue between 2% and 7%. The company also told the outlet, however, that customers are not obligated to take its price suggestions.

The company was acquired by firm Thoma Bravo in 2021 for $10.2 billion; however, the parent company has reportedly claimed it is not liable for RealPage's alleged actions.

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NJ Democratic councilwoman defies dozens of Jersey City constituents demanding she resign after video of alleged hit-and-run goes viral: 'I am not resigning'



A New Jersey Democratic councilwoman disregarded pleas from her constituents for her to resign after reportedly being caught on video plowing into a bicyclist with her car and fleeing the crime scene in her vehicle.

Approximately 100 Jersey City residents spoke at Wednesday night's council meeting. Most of the constituents at the five-hour meeting were there to call for councilwoman Amy DeGise to resign. The residents demanded DeGise's resignation for an alleged hit-and-run incident involving a cyclist.

"Her behavior shows a disregard for human life," declared Molly Booth – a longtime Jersey City resident who said she had never spoken at a council meeting before. "Apparently it needs to be said: Valuing human life is a necessary qualification of public officials."

Gothamist reported, "The most emotional moment of the night came when Kenneth Bandes of Families for Safe Streets held up a photo of his daughter, who was run over and killed by a bus at the age of 19."

"The councilmember’s father seems to think that those who care about traffic safety are radicals," Bandes said. "My only radical agenda tonight is only to protect others from the heartache we experienced. The councilmember should step down and stay off the road."


\u201cKenneth Bandes of Families for Safe Streets holds photo of his daughter struck and killed by a bus. He calls for councilwoman Amy DeGise to step down and stay off the road. He\u2019s the only speaker so far to get a standing ovation.\u201d
— Brenda Flanagan (@Brenda Flanagan) 1660784134

Amy's father is Tom DeGise – Hudson County Executive and a self-described "progressive Democrat." He called the Jersey Journal a "rag" that has become an "attack dog for the radical left" for reporting on his daughter.

The Jersey Journal covered Amy DeGise's alleged hit-and-run as well as "her troubling driving record, dozens of parking tickets, an unpaid veterinarian bill and her residence in an apartment complex meant for low- to moderate-income families even though she earns nearly $200,000 a year," NJ.com reported.

Despite dozens of her own constituents demanding that she resign, Amy DeGise defiantly dismissed the wishes of the Jersey City voters.

“I am not resigning,” Amy DeGise proclaimed. “I remain committed to this position on the council.”

"When the legal process in traffic court is finished, I will have more to say and I can address outstanding concerns and questions. And in the meantime, I’m not resigning," the Jersey City councilwoman added.

“For those who call for my resignation, you are heard, and I understand that you have concerns and questions that I respect and would enjoy any type of dialogue or discussion with you after I go to court,” DeGise told the overcapacity crowd.

"I do not identify with the perception that you have of me, but adversity does make us work harder," DeGise said, according to the New York Post. "To those of you who believe in me, thank you. And to those of you who don’t, thank you for making me want to be a better leader."

"This has only made me stronger and I will use that strength to fight for the issues that help every resident," she continued.

"I'm a private person, more than you think. I know everyone thinks I enjoy this public eye [but], I’m a very private person," DeGise claimed. "And, I would like to deal with this privately and I would like that respect, but it has gone vulgar."

"I'm appreciative of everyone who came out and had to stay tonight," the Democratic councilwoman said. "I’m appreciative and so grateful for the people who have reached out to support me or just want to wait until that court process goes on to ask me any further questions [or] to pry anymore. I cannot make it through these days without you."

“I remain committed to this position on the council, no matter your perception of me," she concluded. "Please know that my commitment is genuine, as is my love for Jersey City, and it is as strong as ever. Thank you.”

\u201cCouncilwoman DeGise addressed the crowd after all the speakers finished, explaining the threats against her and how they, and the incident itself, have impacted her life.\n\nRepeated that she will elaborate more once her court case is over and that she is not resigning.\u201d
— John Heinis (@John Heinis) 1660785780

Gothamist reported, "DeGise's case has not yet gone to court. The case has been moved from Hudson County, where she’s so politically connected, to Essex County, another Democratic stronghold."

On the morning of July 19, DeGise was caught by a traffic surveillance camera driving her black SUV through an intersection in Jersey City and slamming into a bicyclist. DeGise's black Nissan Rogue caused 29-year-old UberEats deliveryman Andrew Black to catapult into the air because of the force of the collision. Black and his bike were tossed several feet into the intersection.

The embattled Jersey City councilwoman didn't stop to check on Black after smashing into him.

Black did run a red light in the accident.

DeGise turned herself in at police headquarters six hours after the crash. She was charged with leaving the scene of an accident.

DeGise has never publicly apologized to Black or her constituents.

(WARNING: Graphic video)

\u201cA New Jersey city councilwoman (D) is facing calls to resign after she was caught on video hitting a bicyclist with her SUV earlier this month and then driving away.\n\u201d
— Russian Market (@Russian Market) 1659254098

Calls for NJ councilwoman to resign after shocking video shows politician's hit-and-run of man on a bicycle



There are calls for a New Jersey councilwoman to resign after shocking video was released of her plowing into a bicyclist with her vehicle and fleeing the crime scene.

Traffic cameras caught the moment that Democratic Jersey City Councilwoman Amy DeGise was involved in a disturbing hit-and-run that catapulted a delivery person into the air.

Around 8 a.m. on July 19, DeGise sped through an intersection in Jersey City. DeGise's black Nissan Rogue slammed into 29-year-old UberEats deliveryman Andrew Black. The impact of the crash flipped Black airborne until he slammed violently onto the pavement. The severity of the crash caused Black's shoes to fall off. Black and his wrecked bicycle were flung feet from the crash.

DeGise did not slow down whatsoever as she sideswiped the cyclist, and she sped away from the hit-and-run.

A dazed Black walks to the sidewalk. Black needs to brace himself on a street pole in order to examine his wounds.

A woman brings the man his lost flip-flop that was in the middle of the street. Another bystander provides a cooler for Black to sit on while he attempts to recover from the crash.

Black spoke to HudPost about the incident.

“I come up to a light, and I have the right-of-way, and right before I get hit, I look left, suddenly I just hear ‘Ba!’ And then I just get hit, and then I hit the hood, and I roll over, and I’m in such pain,” Black told the local media outlet.

"Black was grateful that, despite dealing with deep bruising, he didn’t suffer major physical injuries; however, he suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and says the incident has already caused increased anxiety," HudPost reported.

NJ.com noted that city officials released the traffic camera footage of the hit-and-run "hours after a local news website, HudPost.com, aired a short interview with the victim."

Despite Black's assertion, it appears that DeGise had the right of way and the biker crossed a red light. She was reportedly presented with a summons for leaving the scene of an accident and failing to report it.

DeGise is a Jersey City Councilwoman-at-Large, former chair of the Hudson County Democrats, and the daughter of current county executive Tom DeGise.

There are calls for DeGise to resign following the hit-and-run.

“Past being elected, it’s a living human being – it was really hard for me to witness that,” Councilman Frank Gilmore told WNBC. “It’s a matter of public trust, it’s a matter of respect, it’s a matter of human decency.”

Jersey City councilmember James Solomon said, "The word I use is horrified, that’s how I felt watching the video. She’s an elected official and we have to hold ourselves to a higher standard and that’s why I think she should resign."

Former Councilman Chris Gadsden wrote on Twitter, "I respect Councilwoman Amy DeGise, but I think after everyone sees the video, we have no other choice but to ask her to step down."

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop said, “She shouldn’t have left the scene. That was a tremendous mistake. I’m happy that she took some responsibility by going to the police proactively afterwards. That was the correct move under those circumstances after leaving."

Jersey City Councilwoman Amy DeGise hit-and-run video www.youtube.com

Hit-and-run crash involving Jersey City Councilwoman Amy DeGise www.youtube.com

In November, DeGise parked illegally and had been driving with an expired registration since 2019. The councilwoman's car was blocking the path of turning trucks, and her car was hit because of its illegal location in the street.

Police body cam video shows DeGise seemingly attempt to get out of her vehicle being impounded by telling the cop that she has a relative who was “an officer."

"I have a card on me," DeGise tells the officer. "If there's any way I can have a ticket instead. Please."

"I was endorsed by the police in Jersey City – I'm a councilwoman," she informs the cop.

DeGise then tells the officer that she talked to someone in the mayor's office in Jersey City.

The officer refuses to be influenced and issues her a ticket and impounds her SUV.

Jersey City Councilwoman DeGise had car towed in Hoboken for expired registration www.youtube.com

Calls for NJ councilwoman to resign after shocking video shows politician's hit-and-run of man on a bicycle



There are calls for a New Jersey councilwoman to resign after shocking video was released of her plowing into a bicyclist with her vehicle and fleeing the crime scene.

Traffic cameras caught the moment that Democratic Jersey City Councilwoman Amy DeGise was involved in a disturbing hit-and-run that catapulted a delivery person into the air.

Around 8 a.m. on July 19, DeGise sped through an intersection in Jersey City. DeGise's black Nissan Rogue slammed into 29-year-old UberEats deliveryman Andrew Black. The impact of the crash flipped Black airborne until he slammed violently onto the pavement. The severity of the crash caused Black's shoes to fall off. Black and his wrecked bicycle were flung feet from the crash.

DeGise did not slow down whatsoever as she sideswiped the cyclist, and she sped away from the hit-and-run.

A dazed Black walks to the sidewalk. Black needs to brace himself on a street pole in order to examine his wounds.

A woman brings the man his lost flip-flop that was in the middle of the street. Another bystander provides a cooler for Black to sit on while he attempts to recover from the crash.

Black spoke to HudPost about the incident.

“I come up to a light, and I have the right-of-way, and right before I get hit, I look left, suddenly I just hear ‘Ba!’ And then I just get hit, and then I hit the hood, and I roll over, and I’m in such pain,” Black told the local media outlet.

"Black was grateful that, despite dealing with deep bruising, he didn’t suffer major physical injuries; however, he suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and says the incident has already caused increased anxiety," HudPost reported.

NJ.com noted that city officials released the traffic camera footage of the hit-and-run "hours after a local news website, HudPost.com, aired a short interview with the victim."

Despite Black's assertion, it appears that DeGise had the right of way and the biker crossed a red light. She was reportedly presented with a summons for leaving the scene of an accident and failing to report it.

DeGise is a Jersey City Councilwoman-at-Large, former chair of the Hudson County Democrats, and the daughter of current county executive Tom DeGise.

There are calls for DeGise to resign following the hit-and-run.

“Past being elected, it’s a living human being – it was really hard for me to witness that,” Councilman Frank Gilmore told WNBC. “It’s a matter of public trust, it’s a matter of respect, it’s a matter of human decency.”

Jersey City councilmember James Solomon said, "The word I use is horrified, that’s how I felt watching the video. She’s an elected official and we have to hold ourselves to a higher standard and that’s why I think she should resign."

Former Councilman Chris Gadsden wrote on Twitter, "I respect Councilwoman Amy DeGise, but I think after everyone sees the video, we have no other choice but to ask her to step down."

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop said, “She shouldn’t have left the scene. That was a tremendous mistake. I’m happy that she took some responsibility by going to the police proactively afterwards. That was the correct move under those circumstances after leaving."

Jersey City Councilwoman Amy DeGise hit-and-run video www.youtube.com

Hit-and-run crash involving Jersey City Councilwoman Amy DeGise www.youtube.com

In November, DeGise parked illegally and had been driving with an expired registration since 2019. The councilwoman's car was blocking the path of turning trucks, and her car was hit because of its illegal location in the street.

Police body cam video shows DeGise seemingly attempt to get out of her vehicle being impounded by telling the cop that she has a relative who was “an officer."

"I have a card on me," DeGise tells the officer. "If there's any way I can have a ticket instead. Please."

"I was endorsed by the police in Jersey City – I'm a councilwoman," she informs the cop.

DeGise then tells the officer that she talked to someone in the mayor's office in Jersey City.

The officer refuses to be influenced and issues her a ticket and impounds her SUV.

Jersey City Councilwoman DeGise had car towed in Hoboken for expired registration www.youtube.com

Man jumps from building, lands on car, and survives nine-story fall: 'God had something else in mind'



A 31-year-old man jumped off a building in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Wednesday morning — reportedly a nine-story plunge — and landed on a parked car.

And the man survived the fall, multiple outlets reported.

What are the details?

Still, the unnamed man was in critical condition with life-threatening injuries when he was taken to a hospital after falling atop a 2018 black BMW 330, Kim Wallace-Scalcione, the city's director of communications, told TheBlaze on Friday.

Wallace-Scalcione added that the 10:25 a.m. incident at 26 Journal Square near Sip Avenue and Enos Place was an attempted suicide.

Christina Smith told the New York Post she "heard a big boom, and I didn't think it was a person at first. The back window of the car just busted out — exploded. Then the guy jumped up and started screaming. His arm was all twisted."

Smith added to the paper that she was "shocked" at the sight during her walk to a nearby McDonald's.

Recalling the man's reaction, Smith told the Post, "He was like, 'What happened?'" and added the she told the man that he fell.

More from the paper:

She quickly called 911, then took jaw-dropping photos and videos of the aftermath, including graphic footage of the man screaming in pain with upper body injuries. The video also shows a face mask strap still dangling from the guy's ear, despite falling roughly 100 feet.

"He fell into the car through the sunroof, then climbed out of the car and fell on the ground," Mark Bordeaux, 50 — who works in the building and saw the aftermath of the jump — told the Post. "He was trying to get up, but people were trying to get him to stay down — 'You don't know how hurt you are.'"

Bordeaux added to the paper the man "stayed there until the police and ambulances came. He kept saying, 'Leave me alone, I want to die.' You saw one of his arms was clearly broken, but he was conscious, he was moving. He wanted to die. That was his agenda. But God had something else in mind."

Anything else?

Citing Wallace-Scalcione, the Post said the incident doesn't involve suspicious circumstances. Workers and witnesses added to the paper that the man doesn't work inside building, and it was unclear why he was there. In addition, he's refused to give police his name and was not being cooperative as of Thursday afternoon, the Post said, citing a source familiar with the case.

Police shut down roads in the area after the incident, NJ.com reported.