Cheryl Helm accepted $17,500 to settle her fair housing case against Chuck Mancherian, the former owner of Stimson Apartments, for discrimination based on age. Helm claimed she was denied housing at the Ann Arbor complex because of her then three-year-old son. Mancherian is the former Assisstant Director of Planning for the City of Ann Arbor. He retired in 1991.
“The owner told me that they had students and professionals living there” said Helm. “It really infuriated me, I told him that I happen to be both.” At the time Helm worked full-time and attended Eastern Michigan University on a part-time basis.
Testing conducted by the Fair Housing Center produced evidence to support Helm’s claim of bias against families with children. Filed in Washtenaw County Circuit Court, the case was assigned to Judge Kurtis Wilder. FHC Cooperating Attorneys Jonathan Rose and Jonathan Weber filed the case on Helms behalf. From the settlement, Helm donated over $500 to the FHC.