SPRINGFIELD — A Suffolk County Superior Court judge has permanently barred the former owners of Springfield Gardens from owning or managing residential property in Massachusetts, approving a $10 million consent judgment first announced by Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s Office on September 2, 2025.
The defendants — Schweb Partners LLC, principals Jacques Schmidt and Abraham Weber, and several affiliated entities — must pay $2.5 million to the Commonwealth and forgive $7.5 million in alleged unpaid rent for tenants across 62 Springfield buildings they once operated. The ruling removes them from Massachusetts’ rental housing market entirely.
Between 2020 and 2024, Schweb became one of Springfield’s largest landlords, housing nearly 1,300 tenants. According to the Attorney General’s Office, the company knowingly and repeatedly failed to address unsafe and unsanitary conditions, including water leaks, mold, collapsed ceilings, pest infestations, lack of heat and hot water, unsecured doors, and fire safety concerns. More than 26,000 tenant complaints were filed during that time.
The AG also accused the landlords of illegally mismanaging tenant security deposits, including using them to cover operating expenses, making improper deductions, failing to return deposits within the required timeframe, and neglecting to provide itemized lists of damages for any deductions made.
Despite numerous citations, lawsuits, and condemnation orders from the City of Springfield, the properties were continually rented out. The final judgment ensures the owners cannot reenter the Massachusetts rental market.
The case was brought by the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.
