Cases and Settlements

City Agrees to $495,000 Settlement in Domestic Violence Case

September 24, 2014    

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) recently announced a settlement in its lawsuit against the city of Norristown, Pa., challenging a municipal ordinance that allegedly punished domestic violence victims and their landlords for requesting police assistance.

The ACLU filed the...

Cleveland Community Pays $100K to Settle Discrimination Case

September 24, 2014    

The manager and owner of a Cleveland community recently agreed to pay $100,000 to resolve allegations that they violated federal fair housing law by refusing to rent units at the 205-unit complex to families with children.

Kent State Charged with Housing Discrimination

August 25, 2014    

Earlier this month, HUD charged Kent State University and four of its employees with housing discrimination for allegedly refusing to allow a student with disabilities to keep an emotional support animal in her campus apartment.

The Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to refuse to make...

Domestic Violence Victim Gets Settlement in N.H. Housing Discrimination Case

August 25, 2014    

The owners and managers of two New Hampshire communities recently agreed to settle allegations that they engaged in housing discrimination by refusing to rent to a woman who was a victim of domestic violence.

Community Settles Claims Its Rules Restricted Children’s Outdoor Play

August 25, 2014    

The owners and operators of a California community recently agreed to pay $80,000 to settle allegations that its rules discriminated against families with children in violation of the Fair Housing Act.

The lawsuit arose from HUD complaints filed by five families who lived at the 37-unit...

Condo Community Pays $10K to Settle Disability-Related Parking Dispute

August 25, 2014    

An administrative judge in Maryland recently ruled that a condominium community violated state fair housing law by denying a resident’s request for a reserved parking space as a reasonable accommodation for her disability, according to the Maryland Civil Rights Commission.

Brokers Pay $24K to Settle Discriminatory Ad Claims

July 24, 2014    

Two realty companies and a broker in Connecticut recently agreed to pay $24,000 to settle allegations that they published discriminatory listings and advertisements for condominiums specifying that children were not permitted.

Federal fair housing law makes it unlawful to refuse to sell...

New Orleans Community Accused of Discriminating Against Deaf Prospects

July 24, 2014    

The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center (GNOFHAC) recently sued the owner of a New Orleans community for alleged discrimination against deaf individuals seeking to rent apartments based on the results of a fair housing investigation last year.

Philly Real Estate Company to Pay $25K to Resolve Racial Steering Allegations

July 24, 2014    

A Philadelphia-area real estate company recently agreed to a $25,000 settlement to resolve allegations that employees steered white testers posing as rental applicants to neighborhoods they described as safer, while directing black testers to areas agents considered “rough.”

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Is It Legal to Require Applicants to Produce Their Children’s Report Cards?

June 26, 2014    

No, says the Fair Housing Center of the Greater Palm Beaches, Inc., which recently sued two Florida homeowner associations and two property management companies for discrimination on the basis of familial status.

Landlords Pay $23K to Settle Credit Reporting Violations, Discrimination Claims

June 26, 2014    

Two Massachusetts property owners have agreed to pay $23,000 to resolve allegations of housing discrimination and credit reporting violations, according to a recent announcement by Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley.

N.Y. Community Pays $165K to Settle Race Discrimination Claims

June 26, 2014    

The owner and property manager of a rental community on Long Island, N.Y., recently agreed to pay $165,000 to settle a fair housing case alleging racial discrimination, according to an announcement by ERASE Racism, a New-York based fair housing advocacy group.