Cases and Settlements

Immigration Reform and Fair Housing

July 24, 2012    

Q: Does the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Arizona v. United States have fair housing implications?

A: The latest ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in the battle...

Condo Association to Pay $1M in Disability Discrimination Case

June 21, 2012    

A condominium association in Puerto Rico recently reached a $1 million agreement with HUD to settle allegations that the property’s inoperative elevators violated the federal fair housing law based on disability.

Woman Sentenced for Vandalism, Arson of Biracial Man’s Home

June 21, 2012    

 

On June 18, 2012, a Missouri woman was sentenced to 63 months in prison for her role in the vandalism and arson of a biracial man’s mobile home in Independence, Mo., the Department of Justice announced.

NYC Landlord to Pay $2M+ Settlement in Sexual Harassment Case

May 18, 2012    

In early May, the owner and managers of three residential buildings in Manhattan agreed to pay more than $2 million to resolve allegations that they discriminated on the basis of sex and subjected numerous female residents to severe, unwelcome, and pervasive sexual harassment. This is the...

Nebraska Owner Settles Disability Discrimination Complaint

May 17, 2012    

The owner and managers of a 56-unit, HUD-assisted townhome complex in Nebraska recently agreed to pay $22,500 to a former resident to settle a HUD complaint.

N.Y. Owner to Pay $175K to Settle Race Discrimination Case

May 9, 2012    

The owner of a 96-unit community in Rockland County, N.Y., recently settled a federal lawsuit, alleging discrimination against African-American apartment seekers in violation of the Fair Housing Act, according to an announcement by Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of...

University Faces Fair Housing Claim over Guinea Pig

May 9, 2012    

A Grand Valley State University student recently filed a complaint in federal court over her request to keep Blanca, a guinea pig, in student housing, reports Courthouse News.

Court: Fair Housing Law Doesn't Apply to Roommate Selection

March 28, 2012    

There’s an update to a case we reported in the November 2011 issue of Fair Housing Coach: A federal appeals court has dismissed a fair housing case filed against an online roommate-matching service, Roommates.com, ruling that the Fair Housing Act (FHA) does not apply to shared...

Pennsylvania Community to Pay $15,000 to Settle HUD Charges

March 27, 2012    

The owner of a Pennsylvania apartment complex recently agreed to pay $15,000 to settle claims that the development’s on-site manager discriminated against families with children. Last summer, HUD charged the owner and manager with charging families higher rent when they have children and...

Utah Community Pays to Resolve Dispute About Veteran's Assistance Animal

March 25, 2012    

Last month, the Justice Department announced a $20,000 consent decree that resolves a lawsuit alleging that a Utah condominium association and its management company violated federal fair housing law by refusing to grant a resident’s request for a reasonable accommodation.

Fair Housing Case Pulled Off Supreme Court Docket

February 22, 2012    

The U.S. Supreme Court will not review a controversial fair housing case after all. The case, highlighted in the January 2012 Fair Housing Coach, centered on disparate impact claims under the Fair Housing Act (FHA). While everyone agrees that the FHA bans intentional discrimination...

'Students Only' Rentals Nixed in Chicago-Area Community

February 21, 2012    

A company that owns and operates multifamily rental housing in Evanston, Ill., has backed away from plans to limit occupancy in one of its buildings to only Northwestern University students, according to the Interfaith Housing Center of the Northern Suburbs, an advocacy group that filed a...