The Chi Chapter of Alpha Phi Delta filed a lawsuit against 329 Prospect Ave. Corp and Greek Housing Services Corporation on August 20, alleging the landlord illegally locked members out of the chapter house on move-in day.

The complaint, filed in the Court of Common Pleas of Centre County by attorney Carolyn Fenton of Bryant Larrabee, P.C., involves a dispute over the fraternity’s 2021 master lease for its house at 329 Prospect Ave.

Under the terms of that agreement, the chapter was required to secure 55 signed individual housing contracts for the 2026-27 academic year.

According to the complaint, the chapter fell short of that number, leading to negotiations between the chapter and Mark Maloney, who the complaint says acted on behalf of both defendants. The chapter’s Executive Group proposed “Brucci” or “crash pad” leases to address the shortage.

Maloney countered the proposal by suggesting the chapter’s required contract count be raised to 57 and that $40,000 of the chapter’s $100,000 security deposit be reallocated to cover those crash pad leases, a plan that the chapter claims it repeatedly rejected.

The dispute came to a head on August 18, the scheduled move-in day, when families arrived to find the house locked and were told by Maloney that the chapter was in default and would not be granted access.

The complaint states that one affected person, a fraternity member with type 1 diabetes who needs refrigeration for his insulin, was denied entry to the house. Greek Housing Services instead placed a refrigerator outside on the porch for him to store his medication.

Alpha Phi Delta is pursuing the case on three legal grounds. The chapter alleges breach of contract, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and a violation of Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law.

With the complaint, the chapter also filed an emergency petition for a preliminary injunction the same day, asking the court to immediately bar the defendants from denying members access to the property.

The petition claims the lockout left roughly 50 members effectively homeless just days before the start of the fall semester on August 24.

The hearing is scheduled for August 25 at 3:30 p.m. in the Centre County Courthouse’s Annex Courtroom. The court also directed Alpha Phi Delta to immediately serve the emergency petition, complaint, and order on the defendants.

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