Denver, CO

Colorado property management firm to pay $1 million after state probe finds renters were illegally billed for services

Published

2 years ago

January 9, 2024

Colorado property management firm to pay million after state probe finds renters were illegally billed for services

A Front Range property management company has agreed to pay about $1 million to the state after illegally billing tenants for standard apartment services like repairs, the Colorado Attorney General’s Office announced Tuesday.

Boulder-based Four Star Realty reached the settlement with Attorney General Phil Weiser after an investigation by the Colorado Department of Law exposed multiple instances of the company charging renters for unnecessary work, unrelated damages and other fees not outlined in their leases.

The settlement marks the first time the Department of Law has taken action since a state law went into effect in May 2022 that allowed the attorney general to investigate potential legal violations of housing laws and to utilize civil and criminal enforcement actions. The law also formed the fair housing unit within the agency.

Four Star manages 5,000 rental units in Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins and Greeley, specializing in off-campus housing for college students. The state plans to return $980,000 of the settlement to affected consumers, and a process for recompensation will be announced in the future, the attorney general’s office said.

The Department of Law ordered the company to send it a list of residents who vacated their properties from January 2020 through Dec. 1, 2023. Government officials plan to go through those records and contact tenants to return their money.

At a news conference Tuesday, Weiser listed two potential concerns for his office: being unable to reach every mistreated resident in the Four Star case or finding even more tenants who were affected, which would bring the total money owed beyond the $1 million settlement. So Weiser encouraged Colorado tenants who’ve experienced legal rights violations with Four Star and other landlords to report them at stopfraudcolorado.gov.

“Too often, landlords and property management companies nickel and dime tenants by deceiving them into paying for things like normal wear and tear or damage from previous tenants, or by charging fees not reflected in leases,” Weiser said in a statement. “For consumers who are able to act effectively as their own lawyers, they may complain and get their money back; most consumers, however, are unable to do so and are mistreated in violation of the law.”

Four Star Realty still “strongly denies many of the factual allegations made by the state, including that it engaged in a course of conduct to improperly withhold security deposits,” the company said in a statement Tuesday`. “Nonetheless, rather than spend years of expensive litigation defending itself, Four Star Realty decided to put this matter behind it and instead focus on its business.”

CEO Caldwell Sullivan pointed to his company as having “always been committed to following industry standards.”

“However, in a time of progressive tenant advocacy that is quickly changing the landscape of property management in Colorado, we experienced scrutiny in this investigation for practices that are widely used in the industry,” Sullivan said in a statement. “Industry standards will undergo many changes as a result of these policy decisions.”

The Colorado Attorney General’s Office and the 20th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Boulder spent more than a year on their investigation, which initially was spurred by occupant complaints.

District Attorney Michael Dougherty said his office had heard from college students, their parents, the city of Boulder and the University of Colorado Boulder with concerns about security deposits that had been wrongfully withheld by Four Star over the past couple of years.

Those deposits can range between $5,000 and $10,000, he added at the news conference.

Four Star is now required to disclose all costs to renters in their leases. It must also cut its repainting charges, and reevaluate the necessity of carpet cleaning before levying a fee. It must keep documentation about property inspections and withheld security deposits for three years, and share them with any tenants who ask.

A slide describing renters rights is shown as Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser hosted a press conference with Boulder District Attorney Michael Dougherty at the Colorado Bar Association in Denver on Tuesday morning, Jan. 9, 2024. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)

Four Star can’t retain money from a security deposit, including for rekeying, unless the withholding is “directly related to the tenant’s conduct.” It can only charge for rekeying if leasees opt for Four Star rekey locks, with prices made transparent in advance.

With more than 600 reviews on Google, the company has earned a 2.9-star rating out of 5. The most recent reviews posted within the past few months either give the company very low or very high scores, with the 5-star ratings often complimenting specific employees.

Weiser declined to disclose any other investigations that may be underway, but said, “This will not be the last such matter that we bring forward to advocate and fight for tenants.”

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Denver, CO

Adams County Veterans Memorial vandalized again, just hours after Veterans Day

Published

9 hours ago

November 19, 2025

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Adams County Veterans Memorial vandalized again, just hours after Veterans Day

DENVER (KDVR) — The Adams County Veterans Memorial, a place built for quiet reflection, was left damaged and vandalized just hours after residents gathered to celebrate Veterans Day.

County leaders say they’re frustrated, and crews are once again being forced to repair a monument that’s been targeted repeatedly since it opened.

The Adams County Veterans Memorial, designed to resemble the World War II battleship USS Colorado, had been covered in flowers earlier this month for Veterans Day.

“We do a great event every Veterans Day,” said Byron Fanning, Adams County’s director of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Arts. “You can take a flower and place it at our remembrance wall in honor of somebody that you want to honor that’s important to your life.”

The morning after the holiday, Fanning said he discovered graffiti on the sidewalk, and a park bench soaked in paint. There was also damage to the plumbing system, which now needs to be pumped out.

Crews remove a bench from the Adams County Veterans Memorial after vandal dumped a bucket of paint on it. (Adams County)

“It really hurt my heart,” Fanning said.

Fanning described the graffiti as “gibberish” but said photos of it have been blurred while the sheriff’s office investigates.

Graffiti at Adams County Veterans Memorial. (Adams County)

Most of the cleanup work is already done. Crews removed graffiti that had been sprayed across the walkway and took out a bench for repairs after someone dumped a bucket of paint on it.

And it’s nothing crews aren’t used to. Fanning say this is the tenth time the memorial has been vandalized since it opened in 2023.

“Some of them are small, just a little graffiti on the railings or on some of the structures behind me,” Fanning said. “But some of them have been rather extensive.”

Hoping to protect the memorial as a place to honor those who served, Fanning offered a simple plea to the public.

“Please stop,” he said. “Please show some respect for who this was built to honor, and for those veterans that mean so much to our community. You’re disrespecting them, and it’s not okay.”

Officials estimate the latest cleanup cost about $3,000. The county is working to install security cameras, and the sheriff’s office is increasing nighttime patrols in hopes of preventing future vandalism.

The county is also asking visitors to report any vandalism to law enforcement.

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Denver, CO

Nine in 10 Denver area homes lost value in the past year, Zillow reports

Published

1 day ago

November 18, 2025

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Nine in 10 Denver area homes lost value in the past year, Zillow reports

Metro Denver is leading the country for the share of homes that have lost value over the past year, with 9 in 10 homes down in price compared to only half nationally, according to an analysis from Zillow.

About 91% of metro Denver homes lost value in the past year compared to 53% nationally. Denver edges out other once-hot metros like Austin, with 89.5% of homes down in value and Phoenix, with 86.9% down the past year.

Home prices have bounced around in a narrow band since the peak in June 2022, making it hard to discern the overall trend. Overall, Denver home prices are about 10% below the peak, matching the average decline measured nationally, Zillow said.

“Denver’s home values were growing in 2024, so it’s natural to see a bit more giveback now. What stands out more is the depth of the losses. The average Denver home has lost about the same as the national average, while Austin’s average drop is more than twice that,” said Mischa Fisher, Zillow’s new chief economist, in an email.

While nearly all Denver homeowners have lost equity, those losses are mild and very much in line with what homeowners across the country are experiencing when measured from the peak, he said.

If the declines accelerate, however, the situation could prove problematic for first-time buyers who bought near the top, especially if they made only a small down payment and are forced to sell.

The Zillow Home Value Index for metro Denver, which includes both homes and condos, peaked at $592,969 in June 2022. Last month, its index reported a value of $530,699. That represents a decline of $62,270 or 10.5%.

In Colorado, the average commission that a seller pays is 5.65% of the sales price, which would mean about $30,000 that needs to be covered. Someone who bought a typical home at the peak and sold last month would be down about $92,000, not counting other closing costs.

Back in 2022, the average down payment a first-time buyer made was 6%, according to the National Association of Realtors. And someone using a 30-year mortgage might pay down principal by about 5% or 6% in the first three years. It isn’t 10% because the bulk of monthly payments in the earliest years of a mortgage go to cover interest.

Vulnerable buyers, however, represent a small share of the overall market. The volume of activity or turnover has slowed down since the peak, and of the homes that do sell, only a quarter to a third are claimed by first-time buyers. Depending on where they bought, when they bought, and how much they put down, even those buyers might still have equity.

“Absent a major hit to the economy, most of today’s paper losses will likely have turned into profits down the road when recent buyers sell,” predicted Fisher.

Another way to look at the stress on a specific housing market is what share of homes are being listed below the last price paid. From that viewpoint, Denver’s market is still in good shape.

About 6.3% of homes in metro Denver are being listed below the prior sales price, which compares to 3.4% nationally, according to Zillow. The metros with the biggest shares of homes being discounted are San Francisco, 14%; Austin, 13%; San Jose, Calif., 9% and San Antonio at 8%.

In 2019, 0.6% of homes sold below the prior sales price in Denver, compared to 5.9% nationally. That measure has improved nationally but deteriorated locally. Building equity looks like it will be more of a slog for buyers who started down the home ownership trail late in metro Denver, and they will need to watch their footing. But patience will still be rewarded, Fisher argues.

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Denver, CO

4 reasons why the Denver Broncos are the best team in the AFC after Week 11 | Sporting News

Published

2 days ago

November 17, 2025

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4 reasons why the Denver Broncos are the best team in the AFC after Week 11 | Sporting News

The Denver Broncos have won eight games in a row and, after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 22-19 on Sunday, have made their case as the best team in the AFC and perhaps, the entire NFL.

What a difference one game makes. The Broncos hung on to beat the Las Vegas Raiders 10-7 on Thursday Night Football in Week 10 and all of the talk was about how the sky was falling in Denver because the offense was so bad. That was the narrative that the national media ran with, but others were talking about the fact that all wins in the NFL count, no matter how they come. Those same folks realized that it was a short week, having to play on a Thursday night, and that the team was playing in its seventh game in 39 days.

Maybe Sean Payton knew the Broncos could easily beat the Raiders, even in ugly fashion, and held back so he can unveil bigger plays when the team really needs them?

There are many things to consider, but one thing is for sure: that performance against the Raiders doesn’t mean anything now. The Broncos arguably got their biggest win since winning Super Bowl 50 when they beat the Chiefs on Sunday, and now hold a 3.5-game lead over them in the division standings.

Right now, the Broncos are the best team in the AFC. If the season ended today, the Broncos would have the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs on the AFC side, meaning they would have home-field advantage. While the team still has six games to play, there are multiple reasons why they are the best team in the AFC, not just on paper, but in reality.

4 reasons why the Broncos are the AFC’s best team

The Broncos have beaten both teams that were in last year’s Super Bowl

Super Bowl LIX featured the Philadelphia Eagles playing the Kansas City Chiefs. Within a span of just 42 days this season, the Broncos have beaten them both.

Both games were hard-fought, but the Broncos arguably got each team’s best shot in both of them. The Eagles were still undefeated and playing at home in Week 5, but the Broncos left Lincoln Financial Field with a 21-17 win. On Sunday, the Chiefs had their backs against the wall and many considered it a must-win situation for them. The Chiefs, who never lose those games, were also coming off their bye week. Andy Reid was 22-4 in his career when coming off the bye week.

The Broncos overcame all of that and handed the Chiefs a loss.

Denver has won its last 11 home games

The best teams in the league don’t lose at home. The Broncos have won their last 11 games at Empower Field and if they can get home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, it will be a very difficult place for any team to come into and play.

The Broncos have the best defense in the NFL

This is almost not even an argument at this point.

The Broncos lead the league in sacks and could break the all-time record by a team in that category. They are allowing only 17.4 points per game and have been winning even without Pat Surtain II, who could be back in the lineup following the bye week.

Defense wins championships and a team with a combination of having the best defense and home-field advantage will be quite difficult to beat.

The Broncos’ two losses are by a combined 4 points

A case could easily be made that the Broncos could be 11-0 right now. Their only losses are by a total of four points, both on field goals on the last play of the game.

Their first loss came against the Indianapolis Colts on a 45-yard field goal as time expired. Of course, that was when the Colts got to run the play again as their first attempt, a kick from 60 yards, missed badly, but the Broncos were called for a somewhat fluky unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for leverage when trying to block the kick.

They lost to the Los Angeles Chargers the following week, but that took a miraculous throw from Justin Herbert after slipping through a Zach Allen sack. The Broncos went three-and-out on their following possession and the Chargers moved into range for a game-winning field goal from Cameron Dicker on the game’s final play.

READ: Ja’Quan McMillian proving that team would have messed up by trading him

Both the Colts and Chargers are current playoff teams and both of those games were on the road, so they weren’t bad losses. Both games could have easily gone the other way.