Industry News

Clippers Owner Settles Housing Bias Case

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Los Angeles Clippers basketball team owner Donald Sterling has agreed to pay $2.725 million to settle a housing discrimination lawsuit, the U.S. Justice Department announced. Sterling, longtime owner of the NBA team and a real estate mogul, was accused of discriminating against blacks, Hispanics and families with children at apartment buildings he owns. Read More
 

Post Properties Not In Violation of Fair Housing and Americans with Disabilities Act

A lawsuit filed in 2006 by the Equal Rights Center (ERC) that had alleged violations of the Fair Housing and Americans with Disabilities Acts has been dismissed.  ERC is a civil rights organization and has in the past filed lawsuits against multifamily housing companies alleging that apartment units did not comply with the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Read More

Justice Department Settles Housing Discrimination Involving Disability Lawsuit

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department has settled its lawsuit in a Tennessee case involving whether housing complexes discriminated on the basis of disability.

The complaint accused 11 defendants involved in the design and construction of 11 multifamily complexes in Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and Texas.

The defendants will retrofit the complexes containing more than 800 units covered by the Fair Housing Act. The defendants also will have to pay up to $117,000 to compensate individuals. The complexes involved are in Gulf Shores, Ala.; Memphis; Lafayette, La.; West Monroe, La.; Shreveport, La., and Tyler, Texas.

Racial Discrimination at Apartment Complex in Alabama Results in Fines

The Justice Department's lawsuit against the owner and employees of Rolling Oaks Apartments, a 72-unit complex in Clanton, Ala., for violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating on the basis of race or color in the rental of apartments has culminated in a court-ordered consent decree.

Under the consent decree, the defendants must pay a total of up to $140,000 to victims of discrimination and a civil penalty of $74,000 to the government. The settlement also requires C.F. Enterprises and Forman to implement and publicize a nondiscrimination policy and provide periodic reports to the Justice Department and to undergo training on the requirements of the Fair Housing Act.  Read More

South Side Tucson Landlords To Pay $150K To Settle State Suit

The owners of a small southwest side apartment complex have agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a fair housing discrimination lawsuit filed by Attorney General Terry Goddard.

The lawsuit named the apartment complex's owners and managers, Frank J. Konarski, Gabriela Konarski, Frank E. Konarski, Patricia Konarski and John F. Konarski.  It alleged they denied renter James Larcom an accessible parking space, failed to make repairs to electrical sockets in his apartment that would allow for the use of medical equipment like an oxygen tank, and failed to provide Larcom with a medical release from his lease.

The lawsuit also alleged the Konarskis had threatened Larcom and his family with an eviction from the complex in the 500 block of West Dakota Street for making a fair housing complaint to Goddard's office. As part of the settlement, the Konarskis have not admitted any wrongdoing but have agreed to:

  • Pay $100,000 to Larcom, his wife and their attorney.
  • Pay $50,000 to the Arizona Civil Rights Division.
  • Ask the Pima County Justice Court to vacate the eviction pursued against Larcom and his wife.
  • Dismiss numerous claims made against the state, its employees and Larcom and his wife.

FTC Extends Enforcement Deadline for Identity Theft Red Flags Rule

At the request of Members of Congress, the Federal Trade Commission is delaying enforcement of the "Red Flags" Rule until June 1, 2010, for financial institutions and creditors subject to enforcement by the FTC.  The Rule was promulgated under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, in which Congress directed the Commission and other agencies to develop regulations requiring all businesses that invoice their customers to address the risk of identity theft. Read More