This is a landlord-tenant dispute in Dallas civil court where a disabled U.S. Air Force veteran, acting as his own attorney, is suing one of the world’s largest landlords, Brookfield Properties, for a pattern of billing harassment, fraud, and illegal retaliation.
The Plaintiff: Michael Stuart: a disabled veteran residing in a Dallas apartment under the federal VA Supported Housing (VASH) program. He is a former Realtor and has a background in engineering.
Medical Status: During the key events of the case, he was recovering from two major spinal surgeries, including a massive fusion from his shoulder down to his pelvis to treat a progressive neurological decline.
The Core Dispute: A Pattern of Overcharges For years, the veteran alleges that every June, around his lease renewal, Brookfield’s billing system would generate a massive, incorrect overcharge.
The Initial Lawsuit: After this happened for the sixth year in June 2025, he filed a lawsuit on July 14, 2025, asking the court to declare the charges improper and stop the harassment. Brookfield initially ignored this lawsuit and failed to appear for two court-ordered hearings.
The Retaliation: A Fabricated Debt Ten days after the veteran filed his lawsuit, Brookfield retaliated.
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The “Audit”: On July 24, 2025, Brookfield’s Assistant Property Manager, Vasti De La Garza, emailed the veteran, the VA, and the Dallas County Housing Authority (DCHA). She claimed a “recent audit” had “corrected” his account, and as a result, a new balance.
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The Doctored Ledger: To support this new debt, Brookfield produced a “Resident Ledger” that falsely showed the veteran had not made any payments since December 2024 and retroactively added late fees for every month.
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Immediate Skepticism: The DCHA case manager replied within an hour, expressing confusion and pointing out that the ledger’s claim was illogical since the veteran was on autopay. The veteran then replied with a screenshot of his bank statement, proving he had paid his rent in December 2024.
The “Smoking Gun” Evidence The veteran has since produced powerful evidence that contradicts Brookfield’s “audit” story.
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The Manager’s Sworn Statement: Vasti De La Garza provided a sworn declaration stating she reviewed the veteran’s account in June 2025 (before the audit) and confirmed to him that his account had a CREDIT balance. This directly refutes the claim that a large debt from a prior “mistake” existed.
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The Secret BILT Logs: Internal logs from Brookfield’s payment system, BILT, show the secret transaction: on December 18, 2024, a large credit balance was reversed on the veteran’s account. This transaction was omitted from the official ledger given to the veteran, suggesting the ledger was intentionally fabricated.
The Legal Fight Brookfield’s Strategy: Brookfield’s lawyers are not arguing that the debt is legitimate. Instead, their legal filings focus on procedural technicalities. They claim the veteran’s lawsuit is “vague,” that he is to blame for the issues, and that his evidence (their own emails and ledgers) is inadmissible in court because it is “hearsay” and not properly authenticated.
The Veteran’s Strategy: The veteran has filed a “Motion to Quash” the debt, arguing that under Texas law, the prior lease was a closed contract, and Brookfield legally waived its right to claim old debts when it confirmed a credit balance and signed a new lease.
The case is currently set for trial on April 27, 2026. The veteran is also seeking intervention from the Dallas County DA’s office for Fraud and Financial Abuse of the Elderly.