For Immediate Release February 23, 2018 Contact: Shanti Abedin | (202) 898-1661 | sabedin@nationalfairhousing.org National Fair Housing Alliance Settles Disparate Impact Lawsuit with Travelers Indemnity Company Washington, D.C. - The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) announced today that it has settled a lawsuit with Travelers Indemnity Company. If you have a website, make it available online. The Department of Justice also brings cases where a housing discrimination complaint has been investigated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD has issued a charge of discrimination, and one of the parties to the case has "elected" to go to federal court. The rest of the staff will follow suit. On September 1, 2021, the court entered a consent order in United States v. Smolnik (W.D. C&F did not require its loan officers to document reasons for changing a customer's interest rate from the standard rate, and increased compensation for loan officers who charged higher loan prices. Viewour complete disclaimer. The Department of Justice found that PrimeLending regularly set higher loan prices for African American borrowers. The case involved fair housing testing. *Funding subject to approval. (D. Visit Website. (1) The complaints and settlement documents for the cases discussed in the text, as well as other cases handled by the Housing Section, can be found on the Housing Sections website at www.justice.gov/crt/about/hce/caselist.php. The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under a grant (FEOI210033) with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The DOJ case against Wells Fargo over violation of the Fair Housing Act is the second largest fair lending settlement in the DOJs history, after the lawsuit against Countrywide Financial. Speak to the media, even if there is interest, unless your attorney has a chance to review any statements. You also be protected under additional laws if you live in federal housing and you believe you have been a victim of discrimination. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the civil rights laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. Use this comprehensive property management maintenance checklist to get through repairs faster and more efficiently than previously possible. In addition to damages, the Defendants must comply with the Fair Housing Act, adopt a reasonable accommodation policy, publicize the policy in applications, leases, tenant renewal and the rental office, provide training for its employees, and comply with other equitable terms. Though C&F denied allegations of discrimination, they settled for $140,000 and began reviewing employees' compliance with nondiscrimination standards, specifically their justification for large interest rate adjustments. Others may be evicted from their homes for no reason other than their ethnicity or religion. If the case attracts media attention, you want your message to be a part of the media cycle from the beginning, otherwise your only representation in the media is No comment.. The $7.1 million settlement will improve access for people with disabilities at the senior apartment buildings. The Company Agrees to Alter its Minimum Home Price Policy Media Contact: Media@KAHConsultingGroup.com WASHINGTON, DC - April 29, 2022 - Today, the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) announced a settlement agreement to resolve a fair housing lawsuit that will expand housing opportunities for consumers in communities of color in major cities throughout the United States. The consent order requires the Village to grant Light of the World Gospel Ministries a special use permit to construct a new multi-use building including a church on property it had purchased in a commercial district of the Village. The consent order requires Defendants to pay a combined $100,000 to the Complainants, revise their reasonable accommodation policy, attend fair housing training, maintain records regarding reasonable accommodation requests and report to the United States on their compliance with the terms of the Consent Order. Record the reason for rejecting each applicant. Tex.). Under the order, the defendants will spend $950,000 and commit to injunctive relief, including: a settlement fund of $670,000 to compensate individuals harmed by the program; the payment of $100,000 in civil penalties; affirmative marketing to promote fair housing in Hesperia; partnerships with community-based organizations; notifications to Fair Housing Project P.O. To view this content you must be a paying member. The Louis lawsuit was filed on behalf of two plaintiffs, Mary Louis and Monica Douglas, Black rental applicants who use housing vouchers to pay part of their rent. Media Contact: Lester Davis | 202-415-8653 | ldavis@skdknick.com. Its fair to be angry and scaredthe direct federal fines for violations of the Fair Housing Act are usually $17,000 per violation; total settlements on race, familial status, age and sex discrimination cases often reach well into the six figuresbut those overwhelming emotions are why you should go straight to your lawyer. NFHA is a consortium of more than 200 private, nonprofit fair housing organizations and state and local civil rights agencies from throughout the United States. For example, if their rental application was turned down for a questionable or unclear reason, its possible that the applicant was discriminated against. The case is based on a HUD complaint that was filed by Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Services (SWPLS), a non-profit legal aid organization whose mission includes combating housing discrimination, after the organization conducted fair housing testing. The total amount to be paid by the Respondents is $80,000. According to the laws of the Fair Housing Act, the following types of discrimination when it comes to housing decisions and certain types of activities is illegal: There are several examples that identify how someone may find themselves being discriminated against when it comes to housing. The case was referred to the Division after the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received two complaints from unit owners, completed an investigation on the first complaint, and issued a charge of discrimination. Read the press release and agreement here. Put your leasing/renting criteria in writing. Baltimore's public housing has suffered from nearly a century of segregation . Property managers, however, are vulnerable to scams, as well. HUD announced several notable Conciliation Agreements/Voluntary Compliance Agreements from October to December, 2021, including complaints involving language access rights, landlord liability for neighbor harassment, and COVID-19 visitor restrictions. USClaims does not currently provide funding to consumers residing in Arkansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Washington, D.C., or West Virginia. The complaint alleges that defendants, the City of El Paso and its agents, engaged in a pattern or practice of violating Section 3958 of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by repossessing at least 176 vehicles owned by protected servicemembers without the required court orders. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Plaintiffs applied for rental housing but allege they were denied due to their SafeRent Score, a score derived from Defendant SafeRents algorithm-based screening software. Black and Latino consumers were actively targeted by predatory subprime mortgage lenders in the run-up to the 2008 Financial Crisis and, as a result, homes in Black and Latino neighborhoods were respectively 2 and 2.5 times more likely to be foreclosed than homes in White communities. We won't share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time. Tenn.). The complaint, which was filed on February 2, 2023, alleged that the owners and managers of an apartment building in Las Vegas, Nevada violated the Act by refusing to grant . ), United States v. Premiere Holdings, Inc. (D. Nev.), United States v. City of El Paso, Texas, et al. Rental scams 101: 6 strategies property managers can use to keep themselves and their listings safe, Website accessibility and ADA compliance for property managers, 5 housing regulations for 2020: What property managers need to know, Property maintenance services: The complete checklist and guide, 10 property management bookkeeping basics, How does a 1031 exchange work? United States v. Premiere Holdings, Inc. (D. Nev.) Overview. The complaint alleges that the defendants discriminated on the basis of familial status by adopting and enforcing policies and practices that prohibited children from using the community pool without adult supervision. Contact the Fair Housing Project or a private attorney if you need to speak with an attorney regarding your particular situation. You cant republish our material wholesale, or automatically; you need to select stories to be republished individually. Learn to identify discrimination with lorem ipsum placeholder dummy text copy. The Justice Department announced today that it has secured an agreement to resolve a lawsuit alleging that landlord Darrell Jones of Muskegon, Michigan, violated the Fair Housing Act by sexually harassing female tenants. At USClaims, we offer pre-settlement funding, which is also frequently referred to as a lawsuit advance. The court also issued a memorandum opinion explaining its rulings. On October 8, 2021, HUD announced a Conciliation Agreement/Voluntary Compliance Agreement with the owners of a HUD-subsidized community in Fairhope, Alabama, resolving allegations that the owners' policy prohibiting visitors under the age of 12 due to COVID-19 was discriminatory. Get our investigations delivered to your inbox with the Big Story newsletter. The case was referred to the Division after the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received a complaint, conducted an investigation, and issued a charge of discrimination. Some say HUDs new guideline could be the deciding factor in whether the standard will withstand the Supreme Courts scrutiny. Individuals can also contact the U.S. Attorney's Office Civil Rights Hotline at (855) 281-3339. When it comes to being discriminated against and purchasing a home, this can also extend into mortgage lending, too. The case was referred to the Division after the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received the complaint, conducted an investigation, and issued a charge of discrimination. An official website of the United States government. The fair housing groups are represented by noted civil rights law firms Relman Colfax PLLC and Dane Law LLC. Currently, USClaims does not conduct business with residents of the European Union/UK. Additional restrictions may apply. As one of the countrys biggest Federal Housing Authority lenders, PrimeLending provides mortgage loans to low-income customers that are guaranteed by the FHA or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The organizations were also represented by Morgan Williams, NFHAs General Counsel, and Julia Howard-Gibbon, Supervising Attorney of Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California. These are things that are typically considered to be reasonable requirements. You cant state or imply that donations to your organization support ProPublicas work. Cali. Christie Thompson was an intern at ProPublica. Contact USClaims today to learn more and get started! The consent order requires the defendants to pay two former tenants, Alison and Jesse Noce, the sum of $12,000, and a current tenant, Sarah Jamison, $3000. The settlement with Fannie Mae enables private fair housing organizations to make investments in our communities of color that will advance equal housing opportunities, encourage racial integration, and promote neighborhood stabilization, said Jim McCarthy, President/CEO of the Miami Valley Fair Housing Center in Dayton, Ohio. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. SunTrust denied any wrongdoing, but settled for $21 million in May. Fannie Mae has implemented practices that will help prevent harmful treatment of communities of color in the future, including increasing its oversight of maintenance of properties it owns, prioritizing owner-occupants rather than investors as purchasers of REOs, and ensuring that it complies with fair housing laws by providing fair housing training to its employees and vendors. The complaint, filed on September 29, 2020, alleged that Defendants Las Vegas Jaycees Senior Citizens Mobile Home Community, Newport Pacific Capital Company, and Sherry Polley-Tompkins discriminated against the Complainants on the basis of disability. Mo.). Rental and Sales Discrimination based on Disability: On January 3, 2023, the court entered a consent order in United States v. Perry Homes, Inc. (W.D. In many cases, they will be obligated to help you mount a defense. Mass. Pa.). La Maison Investment, LLC is also named as a defendant in the case. On June 25, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision written by Justice Kennedy, upheld the disparate impact doctrine under the Fair Housing Act. Safeguard Properties NFHA et al. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS We use MailChimp as our e-mail automation platform. The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA)is the countrys only national civil rights organization dedicated solely to eliminating all forms of housing and lending discrimination and ensuring equal opportunities for all people. Todays agreement has far-reaching implications. Brockbk JV LLC, Dallas Redevelopment Equities LLC, Alden Short, Inc., and Sam Matalone are also named as defendants in the case. Litigation Log - Fair Housing Center of Southeast & Mid Michigan Litigation Log It is understood that in all "settled" cases reported on this site, the defendant, unless otherwise noted, denies the allegations of discrimination made by the plaintiff, and the parties have agreed to resolve the case prior to a trial on the merits. Additional restrictions may apply. According to the laws of the Fair Housing Act, the following types of discrimination when it comes to housing decisions and certain types of activities is illegal: Disabilities Ethnic background Race Gender Family status Religion In this complaint, testing revealed that agents of the Lee Garland and Rita Jensen Team of RE/MAX Alliance discriminated on the basis of race. Contact the plaintiff or plaintiffs attorney yourself (in person, over the phone, or via text or email) without your attorney present. The complaint, which was filed on February 2, 2023, alleged that the owners and managers of an apartment building in Las Vegas, Nevada violated the Act by refusing to grant a reasonable accommodation to a resident with an assistance animal (a pit bull), and by threatening to enforce the terms of the lease if the dog was present on the property. Official websites use .gov The Fair Housing Act also applies to purchasing a home as well, as some people may have difficulties buying a specific home because they are potentially being discriminated against. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Ashland Housing Authority (AHA) settled a Fair Housing Act (FHA) discrimination lawsuit on Tuesday. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Government. The lawsuit was originally brought against Redfin in October 2020 by NFHA and nine other fair housing organizations alleging redlining in certain ZIP codes. On September 8, 2021, the court entered a consent order in United States v. Las Vegas Jaycees (D. Nev.). By submitting your e-mail address, you also acknowledge that the information you provide will be transferred to MailChimp for processing in accordance with their Privacy Policy and Terms (https://mailchimp.com/legal). We won't share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time. On February 23, 2023, the United States filed a pattern or practice complaint in United States v. Joel Nolen et at.
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