Florida Mobile Home Park Settles Race Discrimination Case

The owner and operator of a Florida mobile home park has agreed to pay $60,000 to resolve allegations that it discriminated against African Americans, according to a recent announcement by the Justice Department.  

In its complaint, the government accused the community’s former manager of refusing to rent recreational vehicle lots to African Americans by falsely telling them that no lots were available or that there was a waiting list, and discouraged them from making future inquiries at the park. The lawsuit is based on the results of testing conducted by the department’s Fair Housing Testing Program, in which individuals pose as renters to gather information about possible discriminatory practices.

Under the terms of the agreement, the community agreed to establish a $35,000 settlement fund to compensate alleged victims and to pay a $25,000 civil penalty. The community also agreed to take steps to ensure that African Americans are not restricted from renting recreational vehicle lots at the park and to provide periodic reports to the government. The settlement does not resolve the government’s lawsuit against the former manager.