New York Paralegal Blog

By ADAM KLASFELD MANHATTAN (CN) - Lawyers for New York's wealthy Westchester County have one week to outline a plan legislating fair housing for minority residents, a federal judge ruled.

New York, NY (July 6, 2010) - Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo today filed lawsuits against the owners and managers of residential housing complexes in Brooklyn and Glenville, Schenectady County for refusing to rent or show apartments to black applicants. The Schenectady County owner and manager are also charged with refusing to rent to families with children. The lawsuits were filed in federal district courts in Brooklyn and Albany against 1648-50 Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn and Shady Lane Apartments at 133 Saratoga Road in Glenville after an undercover investigation. The lawsuits allege violations of federal and state housing and civil rights laws and seek civil penalties and an injunction prohibiting the companies from engaging in discriminatory practices.

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced that the owners and managers of Shadow Canyon Apartments, located in Idaho Falls, Idaho, have agreed to pay $62,000 to resolve a lawsuit filed by the Department alleging that defendants refused to allow residents with disabilities to keep assistance dogs. "The Fair Housing Act requires landlords to make reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities," said Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "The Department will continue to vigorously enforce laws that prevent discrimination against people with disabilities." This lawsuit arose as a result of a charge of discrimination issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) following HUD’s investigation of a complaint filed by the Intermountain Fair Housing Council. The consent decree, which must be approved by the U.S. District Court in Idaho, calls for training, a nondiscrimination policy,...