In 2005 the Fair Housing Center received a complaint of race discrimination and testing supported that claim. When the complainant decided against pursuing the case, the FHC Board of Directors voted to act as plaintiff. Town & Country Apartments was also sued in 2003 for discrimination based on race. After the 2003 case settled, FHC Cooperating Attorney Steve Tomkowiak wrote to opposing counsel suggesting fair housing training for the staff of the 97-unit apartment complex located near the corner of Packard and Carpenter Road. His letter stated:
“I was not exaggerating when I indicated to your office some time ago that the testing results in the above case were the second worst instance of fair housing violations I have seen in over ten years of handling fair housing and fair lending cases involving testing evidence.”
Based on the recent testimony of the owners at deposition, no fair housing training was ever provided to any Town & Country rental agents. Mr. Tomkowiak filed the case in Federal Court on behalf of the Fair Housing Center in January 2007. The case is assigned to Judge Avern Cohn.