Stoltz Management v. Entrata, Inc.

CourtSuperior Court of Delaware
DecidedJanuary 30, 2026
DocketN25C-02-367 MAA
StatusPublished

This text of Stoltz Management v. Entrata, Inc. (Stoltz Management v. Entrata, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Superior Court of Delaware primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Stoltz Management v. Entrata, Inc., (Del. Ct. App. 2026).

Opinion

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE

STOLTZ MANAGEMENT OF ) DELAWARE, INC., ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) C.A. No. N25C-02-367 MAA v. ) ) ENTRATA, INC., ) ) Defendant. ) )

Submitted: November 11, 2025 Decided: January 30, 2026

Upon Defendant Entrata, Inc.’s Motion to Dismiss: GRANTED in part, DENIED in part.

ORDER1

1. Plaintiff Stoltz Management of Delaware, Inc. (“Stoltz”) is a Delaware

corporation operating three residential apartment complexes in North Carolina.2

Defendant Entrata, Inc. (“Entrata”) is a Delaware corporation offering property

management software services to apartment managers.3

2. On or around April 12, 2021, the Parties entered into a “Software

License and Maintenance Agreement” contemporaneously with an “Entratamation

1 The Court assumes familiarity with the facts and only recites those necessary to resolving the motion at issue. 2 D.I. 14 [“Am. Compl.”] ¶¶ 7, 14. These complexes are called the Arboretum, Lofts at Weston (“Lofts”), and Weston Lakeside (“Lakeside”) (collectively the “Properties”). Id. ¶ 14. 3 Id. ¶¶ 8, 15. 1 Beta Test Addendum” (collectively, the “Agreement”).4 The Agreement included

deploying Entratamation—Entrata’s new smart home system and application—at

the Properties.5 Each apartment unit was to be equipped with an Entrata hub (“Hub”)

and a corresponding smart thermostat, door lock, and water leak sensor.6

3. After discovering the apartment complexes at the Properties were

existing structures, not new construction, Entrata informed Stoltz that the Hubs

required a dedicated property-wide internet network.7 Entrata suggested Stoltz

establish a property-wide network by re-wiring the apartment complexes at each

Property.8 On April 29, 2021, Entrata—through employee Makade Norton

(“Norton”)—proposed delaying Hub installation so re-wiring could take place.9

4. On June 7, 2022, Norton emailed Stoltz employees that “[Best Buy

was] almost done configuring the networks” at the Properties but Entrata was

“currently limited on the number of Entrata Hubs.”10 Norton noted Entrata “could

install all the hardware/hubs [at two of three Properties] . . . by the end of July but

with [the effects of COVID-19] we can’t make any guarantees.”11

4 Id. ¶ 1. 5 Id. ¶¶ 15-18. 6 Id. ¶ 18. Stoltz was to purchase the corresponding equipment at Best Buy. Id.; ¶ 21. 7 Id. ¶ 19. 8 Id. ¶ 19. Each re-wiring would be done with additional Ethernet cabling and ports. Id. 9 Opening Br. Ex. D [“Norton Schedule Choices Email”] at 1-2. 10 Am. Compl. ¶ 28; Opening Br. Ex. E [“Norton Update Emails”] at 3. 11 Norton Update Email at 3. 2 5. In February 2023, Entrata delivered the first Hubs to Lofts. 12 Many

Hubs were defective and caused widespread issues.13 Those Hubs would go offline

in August 2023 and never regain connectivity.14 More Hubs were then delivered to

Lakeside, but Stoltz declined to install them after the problems at Lofts.15 Stoltz

notified Entrata several times of defective Hub issues, but according to Stoltz, a

sufficient resolution never occurred.16

6. Stoltz officially terminated the Agreement with Entrata in January

2024.17 Stoltz also demanded a refund on Implementation Charges and Access

Fees.18 Entrata personnel indicated in late 2023 that a refund may be possible.19 In

early 2024, however, Entrata discontinued Entratamation and adopted a new policy

of refusing refunds.20 On February 1, 2024, Entrata’s Regional Vice President—

12 Am. Compl. ¶ 31. 13 Id. ¶¶ 32-33 (“Residents and apartment managers reported widespread issues…including safety and security defects…”) including Hubs being offline, unable to connect to other devices, failing to properly sync to thermostats or door locks, and adjusting the set temperature in apartments to uncomfortable levels. Id. ¶ 33. 14 Id. ¶ 34. 15 Id. ¶ 35. 16 Id. ¶ 38 (“Stoltz gave Entrata written notice of defects with the Hubs on numerous occasions between March 2023 and March 2024, either through emails or through help tickets submitted through Entrata’s platform. Entrata never sufficiently corrected the issues with the Hubs or the Application.”). 17 Id. ¶ 39. 18 Id. In 2021, Stoltz paid Entrata $233,872 in set-up and installation fees (“Implementation Charges”). Id. ¶ 25. Starting in March 2023, Entrata charged Stoltz $37,923.36 in access fees (“Access Fees”). Id. ¶ 36. 19 Id. ¶¶ 41-42. 20 Id. ¶ 43. 3 Katie Erinn Bernstein—communicated to Stoltz that Entrata was “not prepared to

offer eating the cost for hardware.”21

7. On October 2, 2024, Stoltz filed an action against Entrata in North

Carolina Superior Court.22 The Parties agreed to mediation to avoid further

litigation.23 The Parties also agreed that if mediation was unsuccessful, Stoltz would

file the case in Delaware (in accordance with the Agreement’s forum selection

clause).24 Mediation took place on January 13, 2025, but was unsuccessful.25 Stoltz

voluntarily dismissed the North Carolina case on February 14, 2025, the day after

Stoltz filed this action in Delaware.26

8. Stoltz sued Entrata in Delaware on February 13, 2025,27 and amended

its complaint on May 21, 2025 (“the Amended Complaint).28 The Amended

Complaint contains five counts: breach of contract;29 unjust enrichment;30 fraud;31

21 Id. ¶ 44; Opening Br. Ex. F. [“Bernstein Email”]. 22 Am. Compl. ¶ 47. Stolz did not provide the Court with a copy of the complaint it filed in North Carolina Superior Court (the “North Carolina complaint”) and did not incorporate the North Carolina complaint by reference in this action. 23 Id. ¶ 51. 24 Id. The Agreement has a venue provision requiring litigation to occur in Delaware. Id. ¶ 50. In North Carolina, however, such provisions are “void and against public policy.” Id. ¶ 48. [Should we say here that we don’t need to worry about this b/c Delaware procedural rules apply now that we are in Delaware, or something like that?] 25 Id. ¶ 51. 26 Id. ¶ 52. 27 See generally D.I. 1 [“Compl.”] (outlining the original complaint filed in the Superior Court of Delaware (the “Complaint”)). 28 See generally Am. Compl. (outlining changes made to the original complaint). 29 Am. Compl. ¶¶ 53-65. 30 Id. ¶¶ 66-71. 31 Id. ¶¶ 72-94. 4 violation of North Carolina’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act;32 and

violation of Delaware’s Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act.33

9. On June 20, 2025, Entrata filed its Motion to Dismiss (the “Motion”),

seeking dismissal of all five counts.34 On July 28, 2025, Stoltz filed its opposition

to the Motion.35 On August 20, 2025, Entrata filed its reply in support of its

Motion.36 On October 7, 2025, the Court heard oral argument on the Motion and

took the Motion under advisement.

ANALYSIS

I. Legal Standard

10. Entrata moves to dismiss the Amended Complaint pursuant to Superior

Court Rules of Civil Procedure 9(b) and 12(b)(6). The “pleadings standards

governing the motion to dismiss stage . . . are minimal.”37 The court must “accept

all well-pleaded factual allegations in the complaint as true.”38 The court must also

32 Id. ¶¶ 95-109. 33 Id. ¶¶ 110-115. 34 See generally Opening Br. (presenting Entrata’s arguments for dismissing all five Stoltz counts). 35 See generally D.I. 22 [“Answering Br.”] (presenting Stoltz’s opposition to Entrata’s Motion). 36 See generally D.I. 23 [“Reply Br.] (presenting Entrata’s reply to Stoltz’s opposition). 37 Swan Energy, Inc. v. Inv. Prot. Unit Del. Dept. of Just., 2025 WL 1744503, at *2 (Del. Super. June 24, 2025) (citing Cent. Mortg. Co. v. Morgan Stanley Mortg. Cap. Hldgs.

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