Milwaukee City Attorney Files One of the Largest Public Nuisance Enforcement Actions in City History
March 27, 2026 By MKE Community Journal
City files sweeping lawsuits targeting properties tied to out-of-state landlord network accused of widespread neglect, code violations, and unpaid taxes
The Milwaukee City Attorney’s Office has filed two major public nuisance actions targeting a network of nearly two hundred residential properties associated with Highgrove Holdings Management, LLC and other related LLCs. The lawsuits allege widespread property neglect, code violations, vacancy, and unpaid property taxes that have negatively impacted Milwaukee neighborhoods.
The lawsuits allege that the defendants’ ownership and management of the subject properties, primarily located on Milwaukee’s north side, have resulted in persistent building code violations, vacancy, deterioration, and significant unpaid property taxes, creating public nuisances under Wisconsin law. According to the complaints, the properties have been subject to repeated enforcement actions and ongoing noncompliance with City building and zoning codes.
In addition to the two lawsuits, the City has joined an existing mortgage foreclosure lawsuit filed against High Grove by US Bank. US Bank alleges High Grove has failed to repay its loan and is seeking a receiver to protect over 80 additional properties. The City has filed a brief in support of the appointment of the receiver in that case.
Together, these three actions seek to intervene in High Grove’s operations in Milwaukee.
“High Grove came to Milwaukee with a business model built on extraction. They promised to rehabilitate distressed properties while delivering returns to investors,” said City Attorney Evan Goyke. “What they actually delivered was neglect in the form of vacant buildings, mounting code violations, andunpaid tax bills. The public can no longer bear the burdens of High Grove neglect and today we are holding them accountable.”
Highgrove Holdings marketed Milwaukee to investors as a high-yield opportunity, describing the city’s housing stock as a target for acquisition at up to 50 percent below market value and advertising annual investor returns of 12 to 18 percent. The City alleges profits came at the direct expense of proper maintenance, upkeep, compliance with property taxes and municipal court judgments, and ultimately the tenants living in these properties and the neighborhoods surrounding them.
The City Attorney’s Office collaborated with Common Ground and its Tenants United initiative, whose year-long effort to document Highgrove tenant experiences helped develop important factual context in the City’s cases. In October 2025, Common Ground submitted twenty-nine tenant-identified repair needs to Highgrove. As of late January 2026, the company’s own leadership acknowledged repairs remained incomplete.
The enforcement action was developed by the City Attorney’s Neighborhood Revitalization Team in close coordination with the Department of Neighborhood Services. The complaints filed by the City of Milwaukee were filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, and seek a declaration of public nuisance and the appointment of a receiver to ensure abatement of nuisance conditions.