Published
October 15, 2024
Updated
July 29, 2026
This settlement resolved the California Attorney General's allegations that Green Valley Corporation — the San Jose developer and property manager also known as Swenson Builders — raised rents above the legal cap and served eviction notices without just cause on its own employee tenants. There is no claim form: the $331,130 in restitution went directly to the 17 tenants the state identified.
Current Status
There is no claim form and no claim deadline for this settlement, and there never was one. This was a law enforcement action filed by the California Department of Justice in Santa Clara County Superior Court, announced in June 2023, and the money was directed to a specific, already-identified group of 17 employee tenants rather than to a class that files claims. Green Valley Corporation agreed to pay $391,130 in total and to comply with the Tenant Protection Act going forward. Members of the general public cannot file for a payment here.
Status
Concluded — No Claim Process
Announced June 2023; restitution directed to identified tenants.
Claim Deadline
None
An Attorney General enforcement action, not a consumer class action.
Total Payment
$391,130
$331,130 restitution to 17 employee tenants · $60,000 civil penalties
Proof Required
Automatic Payment
No claim form to file — restitution was paid to the tenants the state identified.
What the State Alleged
Green Valley Corporation, which also does business as Swenson Builders, is a San Jose-based housing developer and property manager. According to the Attorney General's announcement, the company issued unlawful rent increases to nearly 20 of its employee tenants and served unlawful eviction notices on six of them, in violation of the California Tenant Protection Act.The unusual feature of the case is the overlap between landlord and employer. The affected tenants rented from the company they worked for, which raises the practical cost of objecting to a rent increase. The state's action treated them as tenants entitled to the statute's protections regardless of that employment relationship.
The Attorney General described this as the first public action in which the California Department of Justice enforced the Tenant Protection Act.
What the Tenant Protection Act Requires
The Tenant Protection Act, signed in 2019, applies to most residential rental units in California that are not already covered by stricter local rent control and are not otherwise exempt. For covered units it does two main things:• It caps annual rent increases at 5% plus the local change in the consumer price index, with a hard ceiling of 10% in any 12-month period.
• It requires just cause to terminate a tenancy once the tenant has lived in the unit long enough to qualify, and it requires relocation assistance for certain no-fault terminations.
Because the CPI component is local, the exact percentage cap differs by region and by year. An increase that is lawful in one county in one year can exceed the cap in another.
Who Received Money?
The restitution went to 17 employee tenants the state identified as having been affected. There was no broader class, and no one outside that group was eligible.Restitution was calculated two ways, depending on what happened to the tenant:
• Tenants who stayed and paid the unlawful increases were refunded 15 months of the overpaid rent — the difference between the lawful rent and what they were actually charged.
• Tenants who moved out because of the rent increases or the eviction notices were paid 15 months' worth of the difference between their lawful rent and the estimated fair market value of the unit they relocated to.
The second formula is the more notable one. It compensates for the cost of being displaced into a more expensive unit, not just for rent that was overcharged.
What Else the Settlement Required
Beyond the money, the settlement obligated Green Valley to take specific steps to bring its practices into compliance with the Tenant Protection Act. The $60,000 in civil penalties is paid to the state and does not go to tenants.What If This Happened to You?
This settlement does not pay anyone outside the 17 identified tenants, but the enforcement authority it relies on is still available. The Attorney General's office accepts complaints from California tenants about rent increases and eviction notices that may violate the Tenant Protection Act, and the office has since notified city attorneys and county counsel that they hold enforcement authority under the statute as well. A tenant weighing their own situation may also want to talk to a local tenant-rights organization or a private attorney.OCA is not a law firm and cannot evaluate an individual tenancy.
Sources
• California Attorney General press release announcing the Green Valley Corporation settlement, June 2023• California Attorney General advisory to city attorneys and county counsel on Tenant Protection Act enforcement authority
• CalMatters reporting on the settlement and the tenants involved
• California Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482), codified at Civil Code sections 1946.2 and 1947.12
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Settlement Amount
$391,130
$331,130 restitution + $60,000 civil penalties
Case Title
People of the State of California v. Green Valley Corporation
Defendant
Green Valley Corporation, also known as Swenson Builders
Court
Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara
Brought By
California Department of Justice, Office of the Attorney General
Announced
June 2023
Claims
Violations of the California Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482)
Recipients
17 identified employee tenants
Status
Concluded — no claim process
Official Website
California Attorney General Announcement
