Property management software firm Yardi Systems Inc. failed to convince a judge to toss a lawsuit alleging the company conspired to inflate rental property prices via an algorithm, a decision that stands in contrast to two other rulings in similar cases.
Judge Robert S. Lasnik of the US District Court for the Western District of Washington denied the company’s motion to dismiss Wednesday, saying the plaintiffs plausibly alleged a per se violation of antitrust law that the defendants showed an intent to participate in a concerted scheme to raise, fix, or peg multifamily housing rental prices.
The “per se” approach ...