Federal Court Approves Settlement for Española Families Harmed by Negligent Landlord

Posted November 6, 2025

After years of unsafe housing, illegal rent increases, and forced displacement due to the negligence of their former landlord, 46 families who lived at La Vista Del Rio Apartments in Española are finally set to receive compensation. A federal court has granted final approval of a class action settlement against the former landlord, Bosley Management Inc.

The class includes tenants who resided at the complex from March 1, 2023 to October 2, 2023 and received rental assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The class is represented by the named plaintiffs Guadalupe Chávez, Lorenza Romero, Alice Sánchez, Suzie Trujillo, and Petra Velarde, with legal representation from the The National Housing Law Project (NHLP) and the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty (NMCLP).

The settlement provides:

$2,500 per household; and
An additional $1,000 for households forced to move because of the landlord’s actions.

“We’ve built our lives, our families, and our friendships here in Española,” said Guadalupe Chávez, a long-time resident. “Being forced out was devastating. This settlement is a step toward justice, and it shows landlords they cannot ignore our community or push us aside.”

Families endured years of neglect and unsafe living conditions while the landlord collected millions in rent and USDA subsidies. Many were forced to leave their homes due to the conditions and unlawful threats to close the complex by the landlord. This uprooted children from schools, causing families to lose long-time neighbors and community support, and face ongoing housing insecurity.

Being forced out was devastating. This settlement is a step toward justice, and it shows landlords they cannot ignore our community or push us aside.”
Guadalupe Chávez

NMCLP is actively working to locate approximately 10 families whose current addresses are unknown, to ensure all eligible households receive their relief. Class counsel urges anyone who lived at the complex from March 1, 2023 to October 1, 2023 and who has not received a class notice in the case to contact NM Center on Law and Poverty at (505) 255-2840.

“There were problems at the apartment, but I thought the landlord was supposed to fix things. When the landlord forced us out, I was worried I would have nowhere to go,” said former resident Susie Trujillo. “Now with the settlement, I know my family will get some of the support we deserve. It feels like our voices were finally heard.”

“Every family, no matter their income or housing type, deserves a safe and livable home,” said New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty Public Benefits Director Sovereign Hager. “The law guarantees these rights, and this settlement holds the landlord accountable for failing to meet them. Families in Española should not have to fight just to be treated with basic fairness and respect. In New Mexico, corporate, out-of-state landlords cannot push our communities aside.”

Many families who have lived in Española for generations—raising children, working, and building a community called La Vista Del Rio Apartments home—were forcibly displaced or harmed by their corporate landlord, Bosley Management Inc. When Bosley Management Inc. owned La Vista Del Rio Apartments, it failed to maintain safe, habitable housing, which illegally displaced tenants. The owner’s failure to maintain the property caused the property to exit the USDA Rural Development program without legally required tenant protections, leaving families vulnerable to rent hikes. The same landlord also owns another Española property that was condemned by the city, currently the subject of a separate ongoing lawsuit, also represented by NMCLP.

The settlement comes amid a broader housing crisis in Española. The city’s only emergency homeless shelter, the Española Pathways Shelter, is currently fighting to keep its permit to operate as an overnight shelter so that unhoused residents have a safe place to sleep during the coming winter months.

Many NM families and communities are struggling to make ends meet while navigating economic pressures that could harm their housing stability. Tenant protections and landlord accountability, like this settlement, are critically needed to keep families stably housed.

This settlement is about holding corporate landlords accountable, protecting homes, and making sure families can stay in the neighborhoods they helped build.

Families who may be entitled to compensation or need to update their contact information, can view the Class Action Notice here. The full settlement agreement is available here.

The New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty is dedicated to advancing economic and social justice through education, advocacy, and litigation. They work with low-income New Mexicans to improve living conditions, increase opportunities, and protect the rights of people living in poverty.

The National Housing Law Project’s mission is to advance housing justice for poor people and communities. They achieve this by strengthening and enforcing the rights of tenants and low-income homeowners, increasing housing opportunities for underserved communities, and preserving and expanding the nation’s supply of safe and affordable homes.