They all answered the same ad: “FEMALE NEEDED. Elegant home, near WCC. Jacuzzi, laundry, $280+. 572-0724.” and now, Rachel Coates, Amanda Coffin, Erin Cuniffe, Cynthia Moening, Dawn Ottinger and Sarah Ruggles have filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against their former landlords, Raymond Scott Myers and his parents, Ernest and Becky Myers. The six-bedroom house is located on North Hewitt Road in Ypsilanti.
Although the women, some of whom had never met, lived at the house at different times in 1998 and 1999, all reported a similar pattern of behavior from Scott Myers. An initial group of women contacted the FHC in the Fall of 1998 and decided to pursue litigation. Other women were added to the case as they contacted the FHC for assistance. According to the lawsuit filed at the end of May, 1999, Scott Myers engaged in a range of behavior including: making unwelcome sexual advances to tenants; touching tenants in an unwelcome, sexually suggestive manner; placing sex devices in tenants’ rooms and common areas of the house; viewing and storing pornographic material in common areas of the house; entering and attempting to enter the bathroom when in use by tenants; and performing sexual acts in tenants’ bedroom and bathrooms during their absence.
“We want this unlawful behavior to stop,” said complainant Amanda Coffin, “We are trying to help other women from falling into his trap.” Two complainants, Erin Cuniffe and Sarah Ruggles also claim race discrimination. According to the suit, Myers initiated the eviction process against Cuniffe and Ruggles after they each brought African-American friends to the house.
Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County Cooperating Attorney Henry Stancato of Stancato & Tragge, filed the lawsuit in Federal District Court on behalf of the group. The case is assigned to Judge Gerald E. Rosen.
One of Ypsilanti’s largest landlords, Romain Realty, is being sued in Federal court for race discrimination by a woman who attempted to sublease an apartment owned by the downtown company.
Amelia Fonte attempted to take over a lease for a Romain efficiency apartment in late 1997. According to the lawsuit, after viewing the unit and meeting the exiting tenants who told her they were “desperate” to get out of their lease, Fonte, who is African-American, went to the Romain Realty office where she was told that the unit had already been rented. Testing conducted by the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County over a 16-month period supported Fonte’s claim of race discrimination.
Romain Realty, located at 312 Ballard, owns and operates numerous rental units in the downtown and Eastern Michigan University area as well as units on the outskirts of Ypsilanti.
FHC Cooperating Attorney Ericka M. Jackson of Sommers, Schwartz, Silver and Schwartz, P.C., filed suit on behalf of Ms. Fonte. The suit, filed in September, 1999, alleges violations of the Federal Fair Housing Act. The case is assigned to Judge George E. Woods.
The Washtenaw Association for Community Advocacy (WACA) has filed a disability discrimination law suit against Oakridge Apartments in Ypsilanti Township. The suit, which also individually names developers Julie A. Fielek and Charles Chatfield, engineer John W. Adams, and architect Joseph E. Sojkowski, alleges violations of the Federal Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1989. WACA is a non-profit advocacy group for people with disabilities and their families.
A 1997-1998 investigation conducted by the Fair Housing Center while Oakridge was still under construction revealed that the Holmes Road complex had a two-inch threshold leading into ground floor apartments and the leasing office, insufficient space and design in the bathrooms such that the door could not be closed while in use by a person using a wheelchair, insufficient space and design of doorways within the apartments, and no designated handicapped parking spaces. According to the Fair Housing Amendments Act, all multi-family housing built after March 13, 1991, must adhere to seven basic design requirements regarding wheelchair accessibili ty for ground floor units and units on other floors reachable by elevator.
The suit was filed in October 1998 after meetings between the Washtenaw Association for Community Advocacy, the Fair Housing Center and representatives from Oakridge failed to resolve the complaint. Washtenaw Association for Community Advocacy is represented by Paul A. Callam and Stephen M. Dane of Cooper, Walinski & Cramer. The case has been assigned to Judge Patrick J. Duggan.
| Basis for Complaint* | |
|---|---|
| Race | 75 |
| Physical Disability | 28 |
| Familial Status | 27 |
| Age | 21 |
| Sex | 19 |
| Mental/Emotional Disability | 11 |
| National Origin | 8 |
| Marital Status | 5 |
| Source of Income | 4 |
| Sexual Orientation | 2 |
| Student/Non-Student Status | 2 |
| Religion | 0 |
| *complaint may have more than one basis |
Congratulations to FHC Executive Director Pam Kisch and husband Paul Sheron the birth of their daughter, Hazel Mari. Hazel made her appearance in early August. Congratulations are also due to Special Projects Coordinator Ruth Kraut and FHC Board Secretary/Treasurer Michael Appel on the birth of son Joel Issac in October. Our warmest regards go to both families and we hope they will start talking to Hazel and Joel about becoming fair housing testers!
Our thanks go to Dawn Richberg, who helped us hold the office together as two-thirds of the FHC staff went on maternity leave. Dawn, who recently left the American Friends Service Committee where she worked with the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Issues Program, assisted the FHC with every thing from fundraising to investigations. We appreciate Dawn’s skill, patience and willingness to go with the flow.
With your help, the Fair Housing Center can turn stories of discrimination into stories of justice. The FHC is the only group in Washtenaw County that pro vides testing services – often the only way to uncover evidence of illegal housing discrimination. We need your sup port to continue providing investigative services, advocacy, advice, conciliation, attorney referral and community education. All donations are tax deductible.
If you are one of the first 40 new members by 12/31/99, anonymous donors have pledged to add $10 to your contribution. Get the FHC off to a strong start in the Year 2000!
Whether you gave last year or five years ago, you remain important part of the fight against housing discrimination. We need you! Make a Special End-of-Year Gift. We deeply appreciate those of you who have already made a donation to the FHC this year. Will you consider making a special end-of-vear contribution?
Any contribution, big or small, keeps the FHC working for equal housing opportunity. Just clip and mail the form below in the envelope provided. And thanks for your support!
“The landlord says that I have to pay for the ramp myself… is this true?” FHC’s fair housing handbook for people with disabilities and their advocates answers this question and more. The do-it-yourself guide includes the stories of FHC complainants and sample letters requesting a range of accommodations under state and federal law. The hand book also summarizes state and federal laws protecting people with disabilities in housing. The handbook is free to people with disabilities and available at $5 per copy for others.
CharityMall.com is an internet shopping link between retailers and non-profit organizations. Buy year-round from a Charity Mall retailer and they will send 3-30% of the cost of your purchases to the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County. Charity Mall has links to over 100 diverse retailers including those who sell environmentally friendly products and educational toys for kids. Charity Mall sends 100% of retailers’ commissions to non-profits at no cost to the organization or its members. Type in www.CharityMall.com, select the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County, and start raising money to fight housing discrimination!
Pamela Thomas has accepted $7,500 to settle her housing discrimination claim against Parkhill Apartments. According to the suit filed in February of 1997, Ms. Thomas was denied the rental of an apartment at 1932 Washtenaw Ave. in Ypsilanti because she has children and children were prohibited from occupying apartments on all but the first floor of Parkhill Apartments.
Thomas called the Fair Housing Center in April 1995 after she was denied a unit at Parkhill Apartments. According to Thomas, she was told that she and her children couldn’t rent an apartment since no first floor units were available. At the time Thomas’ daughter was three years old and her son was an infant.
Testing by the FHC supported Thomas’ claim of discrimination based on familial status. Testers posing as the parents of children were told that children were allowed only the first floor. Testing for this investigation was funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Housing Initiatives Program/Private Enforcement Initiatives.
Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County Cooperating Attorney Paul C. Callam, of Cooper, Walinski & Cramer, filed the lawsuit in Federal District Court on behalf of Pamela Thomas. The case was assigned to Judge Horace Gilmore. Thomas v Parkhill is the 14th familial status case filed with the help of the Fair Housing Center.
The Lenawee County Branch of the NAACP has settled their race discrimination suit against Adrian Manor Apartments. The settlement includes an undisclosed donation to the NAACP. Focus on the complex began three years ago when Carla and Rob Baty, a white couple living at Adrian Manor, contacted the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County to complain of discrimination against African-Americans.
In the complaint to the Fair Housing Center, Mr. Baty said that when a unit was available in October 1995, apartment manager Kenneth Wooldridge told him to let people know about the vacancy – as long as they weren’t Black.
With no local fair housing organization in Adrian, the couple asked FHC Washtenaw to investigate the situation. Testing conducted by the Fair Housing Center supported the Baty’s charge of race discrimination. In one test, according to FHC tester reports, the white tester was told of available units and warned to avoid a neighboring complex. Seventeen minutes later, the African-American tester was told that nothing was available at Adrian Manor and encouraged to try the same neighboring complex the white tester was warned against.
Granite Management, Inc. in Toledo, Ohio owns the Adrian, Michigan com plex. “The NAACP must take action whenever confronted with evidence of race discrimination,” said NAACP President Lawrence Richardson, a detective with the Adrian Police Department. FHC-Washtenaw Cooperating Attorney Michael J. Steinberg filed suit on behalf of the NAACP in Federal District Court. The suit, filed in September of 1997, alleged violations of the Federal Fair Housing Act. The case was assigned to Judge John C. O’Meara.
Ann Arbor’s Fountain Church of God in Christ and Realtor Alvan Rimson filed a race discrimination suit against Scio Township, the Scio Township Planning Commission and the Township Board of Trustees. The discrimination suit is also filed against Richard and Mary Burney, Scio Township residents.
In late 1994, Fountain Church of God in Christ, an African-American church, attempted to purchase land zoned A-1 (agricultural) and have a conditional use permit issued in order to build a new church. The property is located at the corner of West Delhi and Miller Roads.
In February 1995, on a 4-3 vote, and against the advice of their planning consultant, the Planning Commission denied the conditional use permit to Fountain Church. An investigation conducted by the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County found that Fountain Church was the only house of worship to be denied a conditional use permit by the Scio Township Planning Commission since 1978.
In their complaint to the FHC Washtenaw County, the Church Board of Deacons stated that they believed they were denied a special conditional use permit because of the race of the church membership. Church member and realtor Mrs. Rimson claims to have lost the commission associated with the sale of the land.
The lawsuit alleges that Richard and Mary Burney, owners of the adjoining property, intentionally and improperly interfered with the contracts, business relationships, and expectancies between Fountain Church, Scio Township, Mrs. Rimson, and the land’s sellers. Richard and Mary Burney subsequently bought the land on which the church planned to build.
FHC Cooperating Attorney Benjamin Whitfield, Jr. filed suit on behalf of Fountain Church of God in Christ in Federal District Court. The suit alleges violations of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, the Civil Rights Acts of 1866 and 1871, and the Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. The case is assigned to Judge Avern L. Cohn.
Congratulations to Michael J. Steinberg on becoming the new Legal Director of the ACLU of Michigan in Detroit. While in private practice Mike became an FHC Cooperating Attorney in 1992 shortly after we opened the office. In the past six years Mike worked with FHC complainants to file and settle eight fair housing lawsuits. Not only does Mike do excellent legal work; he’s also a great friend to the FHC staff. Our loss is the ACLU’s gain.
The FHC is losing two Board Members. Pamela Means has left Michigan to live in France where she’s attending graduate school. Ms. Means served on the FHC Board from 1995-1998. Despite our envy, we wish her well.
Bob Liston has accepted a new job in Bozeman, Montana. He’ll be working as a community organizer on disability issues. When Bob and his wife Marsha Katz relocate to Montana, it will be a big loss for the Fair Housing Center and for the Washtenaw Association for Community Advocacy where they are both employed. We understand they promise to return for an occasional direct action.
Sadly, on October 12, 1998 we received news that former FHC Board Member Adrienne Decker died of cancer. Adrienne was a member of the FHC’s first Board, chosen for her long-term commitment to legal justice. Adrienne worked and volunteered many years with the Ann Arbor office of Legal Services of Southeastern Michigan. Our condolences to her husband Bernie, her children and grandchildren.
Thanks to the following people and businesses for their support of the FHC’s 100 Dinners for Fair Housing:
For the second time in two years, the KKK targeted Ann Arbor. The Fair Housing Center once again organized a community effort to support local civil rights efforts. We challenged the community to pledge money for every minute the Klan spoke at City Hall. Money collected went to the NAACP, the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County, and the Ann Arbor Community Center.
On May 9, 1998 the Klan spoke for 57 minutes. We received over $235/minute in pledges. We were overwhelmed by the response to the Pledge. Close to 700 people donated to PLEDGE AGAINST THE KLAN, pledging from $1 total to as much as $10/minute. Donations have come from as far away as LaGrange, Georgia and Stamford, Connecticut.
Pledges totaled $14,509. No matter how large or small the contribution, each pledge was one more voice against the message of the Klan.
Special thanks to Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice for organizing the alternative rally at Wheeler Park and for helping distribute Pledge Against the Klan pledge sheets.
The Performance Network has generously allowed the FHC to stuff their play bills with FHC informational flyers. With 300-400 audience members for every weekend show, this adds up to a lot of exposure! We give a standing ovation to the Network for their continued production of shows that tackle issues of discrimination and race relations. The next show of interest is Innocent Thoughts by William Missouri Downs, Nov. 19 – Dec. 13, a courtroom drama that explores Black/Jewish relations. Call (734) 663-0681 for tickets. And don’t forget “Pay What You Can Thursdays!”
Community High School sophomore, Cassie Haynes, joined the FHC staff as an intern for the school year. Cassie is responsible for organizing a fund-raising dance, and working with other FHC staff to design materials for events and trainings.
Deborah Patterson has at last settled her disability discrimination claim against The Pines of Cloverlane apartment complex for an undisclosed amount. Patterson’s initial request for modification to the door and sidewalk outside her building came in late 1994. Final work on the sidewalk wasn’t completed until the fall of 1997. The settlement ends Patterson’s long battle to gain independent access to her apartment building.
Patterson sued the Balcor Company in February 1996, after her attempts to negotiate with the management failed. When the Pittsfield Township complex was sold, the new owners, Equity Residential Properties Trust, were added to the suit. Although Patterson rents a barrier-free unit, prior to the modifications she was unable to open the door to her building without assistance. Once through the door, Patterson was forced to contend with a narrow sidewalk in poor repair that lacked adequate safety barriers and rails. Non-disabled tenants in Patterson’s building use the stairs at the front of the complex.
During the three-year fight, Patterson vowed to Fair Housing Center staff that she would never give up. Patterson, joined by fellow members of disability rights group ADAPT, picketed the Michigan Avenue complex, now known as The Pines, throughout the summer and fall of 1996. “I found it interest ing that while the new owners rushed to paint and re-side complex buildings and even resurface the tennis courts, they wouldn’t provide a tenant with basic access to her building,” noted ADAPT member and FHC Board member Bob Liston.
Fair Housing Center Cooperating Attorneys Gayle Rosen from Michigan Protection & Advocacy Service and Kathy Peterson filed the law suit in Washtenaw County Circuit Court alleging viola tions of the Michigan Handicappers’ Civil Rights Act. The case was later handled by Rosen and Mary Michalak, also of Michigan Protection & Advocacy Service. The case was originally assigned to Judge Melinda M. Morris.
Stacey Paulk accepted $17,800 to settle her familial status case against Ismat Hamid, the owner of Holiday Star Apartments in Ypsilanti. According to the law suit, Faulk visited Holiday Star to rent an apartment for herself, her then 2-year-old daughter and a friend when the owner told her he didn’t rent to families with children in that building. She reportedly told the owner that barring children is illegal. Faulk says he responded by saying he didn’t care and that she could go ahead and sue him. FHC testing supported Faulk’s claim of discrimination against families with children.
FHC Cooperating Attorneys Michael J. Steinberg and Daniel E. Manville filed the case in Federal District Court. The case was assigned to Magistrate Steven D. Pepe. Steinberg, an FHC Cooperating Attorney since 1993, is acting as the Interim Director of Litigation for the Michigan Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union in Detroit.
Larry Pike accepted $750 in addition to a lighted door bell to settle his fair housing case against Harbour Club Ltd. Mr. Pike is deaf and required a visual alternative to the building’s buzzer system. Without the accommodation there was no way for visitors to let Pike know they were outside waiting to be buzzed through the security doors.
The case was filed in Wayne County Circuit Court by FHC Cooperating Attorney David Stokes of Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service. Judge Marianne Battanni heard the case. Battanni refused to grant Harbour Club’s attorney a motion for summary disposition and the case was settled soon after.
With the requested ramp construct ed, Pamela Williams has accepted $5,000 to settle her disability complaint against Leforge Villa Apartments in Ypsilanti. FHC Cooperating Attorney Daniel E. Manville filed suit on behalf of Williams, who uses a wheelchair. The suit, filed in Washtenaw County Circuit Court claimed violations of the Michigan Handicappers’ Civil Rights Act. Filed in July of 1997, the case was assigned to Judge David S. Swartz.
The first trial in FHC-Washtenaw County history ended with Oscar Matts winning a jury verdict against Lakeview Mobile Home Park. Cooperating Attorneys David Nacht and David Cahill reported a $2,500 settlement in Matts’ disability discrimination claim. Matts, a tenant at Lakeviewfor close to twenty years, uses a wheelchair.
Nacht estimates Lakeview spent upwards of $30,000 to defend them selves against Matts. In the end the mobile home park agreed to build a ramp to the office. Mr. Matts argued that Lakeview staff refused his request for reasonable accommodation there by slowing down progress on a ramp from Matt’s porch to the driveway, keeping the office inaccessible and refusing to reimburse Matts $425 for widening the drive way to his mobile home lot. The case was argued in front of Washtenaw County Circuit Visiting Judge Charles Kaufman.
The Lenawee County Chapter of the NAACP has filed a race discrimination suit against Adrian Manor Apartments. An FHC investigation of the complex was triggered by a complaint from Rob and Carla Baty, a white couple living at Adrian Manor. According to the Batys the manager told them of a vacant unit and said they should tell people as long as they weren’t Black. FHC testing supports the Baty’s charge of race discrimination.
The case was filed in Federal District Court by FHC Cooperating Attorneys Michael J. Steinberg and Daniel E. Manville. The case is assigned to Judge John C. O’Meara. The complex is owned by Granite Management, Inc., of Toledo, Ohio.
FHC Coordinator of Investigations Mary Bejian bas written a fair housing handbook for use by people with disabilities and their advocates. The do-it-yourself guide includes the stories of FHC complainants and sample letters requesting a range of accommodations under state and federal law. The handbook also lists state and federal laws that protect people with disabilities in housing and explains the type and extent of coverage under each law. The hand book is free to people with disabilities and available at $5 per copy for others.
The Association for Community Advocacy filed four fair housing complaints with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The complaints are filed against the Cities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Ypsilanti Township, and Pittsfield Township. According to ACA, all took HUD funding to build or renovate housing, but none lived up to the obligation to make 5% of all HUD funded projects since 1988 accessible to people with mobility impairments. The com plaints also cite the cities and town ships for not offering existing accessible units to people with disabilities, instead of renting them to those without disabilities.
We held our second annual Housing Advocates Training in November 1997. Human service workers from across Washtenaw County participated in the one-day training on landlord/tenant law, fair housing and housing subsidy programs. Trainers included FHC-Washtenaw County staff, Mike Gatti, Lisa Ruby, Hank Wolfe of Legal Services of Southeastern Michigan, and Jim Schaafsma of the Michigan Poverty Law Program.
Thanks to Espresso Royale Caffé and the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority for our fair housing bus posters! Expresso Royale provided the funding and the AATA dis played them on local buses in August and September of last year.
Eat, drink, and mark the 30th anniversary of Federal Fair Housing Act (passed in April of 1968). Here is how it works: FHC staff, friends, supporters, and cooperating attorneys invite guests to a dinner party. Each guest purchases a ticket for the dinner from the FHC. Last year we held ten parties and raised close to $2,000. To be a host of 100 Dinners for Fair Housing this spring, call Pam Kisch at the FHC office, (734) 994-3426
Intern Sharon Thiel has worked with the FHC staff on fair housing investigations. Sharon’s internship is coordinated through the University of Michigan course “Women in the Community.”
Sarah Tankson has accepted $5,000 to settle her suit against Thomas Robert Allmand, owner of Arbor Apartments. Tankson sued Allmand in 19951 claiming discrimination based on disability and race. Arbor Apartments are located at 3310 Packard at Fernwood.
According to the suit, Arbor Apartments’ agents violated the Michigan Handicappers’ Civil Rights Act by refusing to rent an apartment to Tankson because she receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI). All recipients of SSI are people with disabilities or elderly. Tankson is African-American and has a hereditary condition known as myodonus.
The Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County investigated Tankson’s claim after she contacted the organization. The FHC investigation found differences in treatment between testers saying they had a disabled family member and those without a disabled family member. FHC testing and a witness statement supported Tankson’s claim of discrimination based on disability and race.
According to the suit, after being denied housing at Arbor Apartments, Tankson was forced to move to another complex outside the City of Ann Arbor where she was not eligible for subsidized transportation services.
FHC Cooperating Attorney David Cahill filed the suit in Washtenaw County Circuit Court on behalf of Sarah Tankson. The case was assigned to Judge Richard E. Conlin. Tankson also filed a complaint with the City of Ann Arbor claiming dis crimination based on source of income. The claim was forwarded to the City Attorney’s office where the case was dismissed.
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 Assistant 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. The case settled in 1994; a three-year non-disclosure agreement prevented earlier reporting.
Two suits claiming discrimination based on familial status and one disability dis crimination case have been filed with the aid of the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County.
Cooperating Attorney Michael J. Steinberg has filed suit on behalf of Stacey Faulk. According to Ms. Faulk, she was denied the rental of an apartment at Holiday Star Apartments in Ypsilanti near the Eastern Michigan University campus because she has a child. According to the suit, the owner stated that no children were allowed in the build ing and that the apartments were for students. Faulk says she told the owner that it was illegal for him to discriminate against families with children and that the owner told Faulk to go ahead and sue him. Filed in Federal District Court, the case is assigned to Judge Paul V. Gadola. Testing by the FHC supports Faulk’s claim of discrimination based on familial status.
Attorney David Michael Stokes of Michigan Protection & Advocacy Service filed suit on behalf of Larry Pike when Harbour Club refused to provide a flashing doorbell. Pike is deaf and is unable to hear the buzzer for the building’s common entrances. Mr. Pike is therefore unaware when someone is trying to visit him at his second floor apartment. Filed in Wayne County Circuit Court, the case is assigned to Judge Marianne Battani. The suit claims violation of the Michigan Handicappers’ Civil Rights Act. Harbour Club Ltd. is located in Belleville off 1-94.
Pamela Thomas is suing Parkhill Apartments in Ypsilanti. Thomas, the mother of two children, claims she was denied a unit because children are not allowed above the first floor and there were no first floor units available. Thomas is being represent ed by Paul A. Callam of Cooper, Walinski & Cramer. Testing by the FHC supports her claim of discrimination based on familial status. Filed in Federal District Court, the case is assigned to Judge Horace Gilmore. Parkhill Apartments are located on Washtenaw Avenue near Eastern Michigan University.
On March 15, 1997, supporters hosted fundraising dinners for the FairHousing Center. Each guest made a contribution to the FHC. The event raised over $1,700. Special thanks to our hosts: Lynn D’Orio, Audrey Wojtkowiak, Shani Lasin, Danny Rosen, Andy Sugerman, Gayle Rosen, Michael Appel, Ruth Kraut, Verna Spayth, Lisa S. Powers, Paul Sher, Michael J. Steinberg, Jon Weber, Debbie Calvert, Ellen Rabinowitz, and Dave DeVarti. Would you like to host a dinner next Spring? Call the FHC and we’ll sign you up.
Thanks to following local businesses for their support of 100 Dinners:
Ann Arbor City Council voted in November to significantly strengthen the City of Ann Arbor Human Rights Ordinance. The changes could lead to more meaningful settlements for those discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, student status or legal source of income.
The right to hire an attorney and go directly to Circuit Court is now available to those who have been discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, student status or legal source of income. Others covered under the ordinance already have this right under state and/or federal law. Before the change, those not covered under state or federal law had to depend on the City Attorney’s office for all litigation. If they won, the maximum fine would be $500. No fair housing case has ever been taken to court by the City Attorney’s office.
Not only does the new fine set a community standard for all fair housing cases, but a fine of up to $500-A Day gives complainants new leverage in fighting discrimination cases. The previous $500 maximum provided little incentive for violators to change their behavior.
| Basis of Complaints* | |
|---|---|
| Race | 74 |
| Physical Disability | 39 |
| Familial Status | 37 |
| Sex | 18 |
| Mental/Emotional Disability | 15 |
| National Origin | 10 |
| Marital Status | 9 |
| Income Source | 7 |
| Age | 7 |
| Sexual Orientation | 2 |
| Student/Non-Student Status | 0 |
| *complaint may have more than one basis |
National fair housing expert John Reiman spent the day in Ann Arbor sharing his vast expertise with attorneys and advocates from across the state. Reiman is well known for his work on the Denny’s race dis crimination case and more recently a .$200,000 settlement for a woman claiming sexual harassment by the superintendent of her apartment complex. John Reiman works with the Washington Lawyers’ Committee of Civil Rights and Urban Affairs where he is the Director of the Fair Housing Project. The March, 1997, Skills Seminar was held in conjunction with the National Lawyers Guild Mideast Regional Conference. Thanks to Washtenaw County for funding this valuable seminar.
FHC-Washtenaw staff teamed up with Legal Services of Southeastern Michigan and the Ann Arbor Tenants Union to offer a one-day training for local housing advocates. The November, 1996, training included participatory workshops on landlord/tenant law, fair housing, legal aid, and housing subsidy programs. The next training will be held Thursday, November 6. Hold that date!
Sharon Lewis and Tyrone Tillison have accepted $32,500 to settle a race discrimination suit against Williamsburg Village Apartments in Lyon Township, Michigan.
In April, 1995 Lewis, a white woman, contacted Fair Housing Center Cooperating Attorney Michael J. Steinberg about her housing discrimination claim. Steinberg referred the case to the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County for investigation. Lewis planned to share the apartment with Tillison, her African American boyfriend and their five-year-old son Phillip.
On the day Lewis moved in (Tillison was to join her ten days later), according to the law suit: manager Elizabeth Bell asked Lewis what nationality her “husband” was. When Lewis asked why, Elizabeth Bell responded that Lewis’ son Phillip was “kind of dark.” Lewis told Bell that her boyfriend (Phillip’s father) was Black. Elizabeth Bell then told Lewis that Phillip’s father could not live at Williamsburg Village Apartments and that there were no Blacks in the area. Bell then told Lewis that only two people were allowed in a two-bedroom apartment.
A few months later Lewis received a letter from owner Richard Perry threatening to evict the Lewis/Tillison family unless Tyrone Tillison moved out. Testing conducted by the Fair Housing Center supported Lewis’ claim of discrimination based on race. White testers were told about available two bedroom apartments while African-American testers were told that no two bedroom units were open.
Michael J. Steinberg filed suit on behalf of Lewis in U.S. District Court. The suit alleged violations of the Federal Fair Housing Act and Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. The case was assigned to Judge Denise Page Hood. Total FHC-Washtenaw aided settlements now exceed $270,000.
The Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County and Margaret Fairchild (formerly Margaret Shannon), settled their law suit against Camelot Apartments in Ypsilanti Township for $36,500. Fairchild, who accepted $15,000, told the FHC she was very pleased with the settlement. “I didn’t care about the money, just wanted them to learn that they can’t treat people like they treated me.” The settlement also included $2,500 (plus interest) for the Fair Housing Center and $19,000 in attorneys fees.
Fairchild contacted the FHC in April 1993 to report that she was denied a one-bedroom apartment and told that state law requires a child to have his or her own bedroom. At the time Fairchild was a single parent with one child and could not afford a two bed room apartment.
The Camelot Apartments application contained the printed statement: “one person or one couple per bedroom.” Testing conducted by the Fair Housing Center supported the claim of discrimination against families with children.
According to the suit, Camelot Apartments denied Fairchild and her then four-year-old son the opportunity to rent a one bedroom apartment and also “made, printed and published notices and statements with respect to the rental of the dwelling that indicate preference, limitations and discrimination based on familial status.”
Fairchild and the FHC were represented by Fair Housing Center Cooperating Attorneys Sarah J. Stitt and Steve Dane of Cooper, Walinski & Cramer. Filed in Federal Court, the case was assigned to Judge George La Platta.
This is the first time the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County has joined a fair housing suit. The 1982 Supreme Court decision in Havens Realty Corp. v. Cole man upheld the right of fair housing organizations to sue under the Federal Fair Housing Act.
Carol Pryor, a woman with a disability, contacted the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County to report that she needed a second hand rail installed on the stairs in her Woodland Meadows townhouse. When the landlord failed to provide the rail, Pryor asked to be let out her lease. According to Pryor, Woodland Meadows said she could break her lease. Pryor told FHC staff that she was later billed for over $3,000. Cooperating Attorney Tinamarie Pappas of Rose, Weber and Pappas filed the case in Washtenaw County Circuit Court. The case is assigned to Judge Timothy P. Connors.
Alissa Schwabb rents a condominium at Pattengill Condominiums in Ann Arbor. Schwabb went to the City of Ann Arbor Human Rights Department to report harassment and an eviction based on familial status. Schwabb lives with her three children ages eight, eleven, and thirteen. The Ann Arbor Human Rights Department staff conducted an investigation and referred the case 10 the Fair Housing Center.
Cooperating Attorney Richard McHugh and co-counsel Michael Gatti, from Legal Services of Southeastern Michigan are defending Schwabb in the eviction proceedings and have filed a counterclaim in Washtenaw County Circuit Court alleging violations of the Federal Fair Housing Act and the Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. The complex is managed by Charles Reinhart Company. Schwabb is suing Reinhart along with the Pattengill Condominium Association Board President, a Board member and a resident. The eviction case and the fair housing claim have been consolidated and are assigned to Judge William Shelton.
When the Ku Klux Klan announced they were coming lo Ann Arbor on June 22, 1996, the FHC asked community members lo pledge money to civil rights organizations for every minute the Klan had a presence at City Hall. The longer the Klan stayed the more money would go to support civil rights.
At the rate of over $82 per minute we raised over $2,800. Many of you generously sent in more money than originally pledged. The funds went to support the Ann Arbor Community Center, NAACP and the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County.
When the next hate group comes to town we’ll need more than The Pledge. The Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice is organizing toward a creative, community-wide response to racism. For more information call ICPJ at 663-1870.
Intern Linda Willis answers the phone at the FHC office. Linda worked with FHC staff over the summer and is now back in school working on a Masters degree in Social Work at the University of Michigan.
When a water pipe burst in Phyllis Brannan’s apartment she asked the manager at Pine Valley Apartments to repair the damage one room at a time to accommodate her disability. They refused and Brannan, who had lived at Pine Valley for twenty-one years, was forced to move. The owners of Pine Valley, The Fourmidable Group, then sued Brannan for over $500 of her security deposit blaming her for the damage caused by the frozen water pipe. “It’s unfair when a landlord uses a bad situation to line their own pockets” commented Brannan.
Brannan called the Ann Arbor Tenants Union who in turn referred her to the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County. FHC Cooperating Attorneys Jonathan Rose and Jonathan Weber filed suit in Washtenaw County Circuit Court on behalf of Brannan, a retired teacher, claiming that Pine Valley refused to reasonably accommodate Brannan’s disability. The case was assigned to Judge Donald E. Shelton.
After their baby boy was born in 1995, the Harbors received an eviction notice. The Harbors were told, in writing, that because the new child was a boy, unlike their two older children, they would have to move. Tenants of Arbordale Apartments owned by Sang Y. Nam, the Harbors called the FHC with a complaint of discrimination based on sex and familial status. FHC Cooperating Attorneys Jonathan Rose and Jonathan Weber filed in Washtenaw County Circuit Court on behalf on the Harbors. The case, claiming violation of the Michigan Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act was assigned to Judge Timothy P. Connors.
Yma Johnson settled a race discrimination suit against University Management Inc. In June of 1994 Ms. Johnson and a white friend contacted the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County with a complaint of housing discrimination. The white friend told the FHC that the manager stated that he wouldn’t rent to Ms. Johnson because of her race. FHC Washtenaw County Cooperating Attorney Michael J. Steinberg filed suit on behalf of Ms. Johnson in Washtenaw County Circuit Court. The case was assigned to Judge Patrick J. Conlin. Center of Washtenaw County with a complaint of housing discrimination.
Scott and Candi Schiller have three children-one too many according to the rules of Meadowbrook Village Apartments in Ann Arbor. The Schillers contacted the FHC with a complaint of discrimination based on familial status after they inquired about an apartment at Meadowbrook Village, a McKinley Properties complex. According to the Schillers, they were told that the complex had a limit of two people per bedroom. The FHC investigation found Meadowbrook units that were, according to the City of Ann Arbor housing code, large enough for five people. The suit was filed in Washtenaw County Circuit Court by FHC Cooperating Attorneys Jonathan Rose and Jonathan Weber. The case was assigned to Judge Ann Mattson. The amount of the settlement was undisclosed.
Martha Taylor, her grand daughter Karrynn Taylor, and Karrynn’s mother Sunshine Welsh filed a race discrimination suit against Congress Park Apartments. Taylor is African-Ameri can and Welsh is white. “You people come in here to co-sign and can’t even afford your own house hold, let alone co-sign for someone else!” said rental agent Flossie Bennett, according to the suit.
These comments were made when Taylor and Welsh arrived at Congress Park Apartments to look at a unit. The suit also claims that Flossie Bennett asked if Sunshine’s boyfriend, an African-American man, would be moving in with her. Bennett, according to the suit, went on to say “You people just have baby after baby and then come in here expecting me to accommodate you.” Ultimately Bennett refused to rent them the two-bedroom unit.
Taylor contacted the Ann Arbor Tenants Union and was referred to FHC-Washtenaw where she made a complaint of race discrimination against the Ypsilanti Township complex. Testing over a two-year period by the FHC supports the discrimination claim. Taylor & Welsh are represented by FHC Cooperating Attorney’s Jonathan Weber and Jonathan Rose of Rose, Weber, and Pappas. The case, is filed in Washtenaw County Circuit Court and assigned to Judge Melinda Morris.
Deborah Patterson is suing The Pines of Cloverlane apartment complex, run by Insignia Management, for refusing to accommodate her disability. Patterson first requested modifications to the sidewalk and door to outside her building in December of 1994.
One year later an electric door was installed; however Patterson has been unable to make full use of the door because of a an improperly mounted remote control device and lack of modifications to the sidewalk.
Fair Housing Center Cooperating Attorneys Gayle Rosen, of Michigan Protection & Advocacy Service, and Kathy Peterson filed the law suit in Washtenaw County Circuit Court alleging violations of the Michigan Handicappers’ Civil Rights Act. The case is assigned to Judge Patrick J. Conlin.
Conlin was also the judge in the FHC-Washtenaw assisted case Franke v McKinley. Natasha Franke, a teenaged wheelchair user, asked that McKinley remove a set of stairs to her ground floor apartment. Attorneys for McKinley attempted to have Circuit Court Judge Conlin dismiss the case, claiming that under the Michigan Handicappers Civil Rights Act they were required to make the premises accessible only at the Franke’s expense. Judge Conlin denied McKinley’s request. In a written opinion citing law and legislative intent Judge Conlin concluded that the “…Defendant must accommodate Natasha if it would not pose an undue hardship.” The Franke case settled for $18,500.
Margaret Wright filed a race discrimination suit against Eastwood Terrace Apartments. Wright, an African-American woman. contacted the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County in August of 1995 with a complaint of race discrimination against the complex located in Ypsilanti Township.
In her complaint to the Fair Housing Center Wright stated that she believed she was being given false and incomplete information about the availability of units. Testing conducted by the Fair Housing Center supports Wright’s charge of discrimination based on race. Ms. Wright moved into Eastwood Terrace after new staff took over for manager Louise Pearson. FHC-Washtenaw Cooperating Attorney Steven Reed filed suit on behalf of Wright in Washtenaw County Circuit Court. The suit alleges violations of the Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. The case is assigned to Judge Karl V. Fink.
The Fair Housing Center of Metropolitan Detroit filed a motion before Judge Avern Cohn to join the suit against Flagstar, formerly known as First Security Savings. FHC-Detroit is being represented by Cooperating Attorney Victoria A. Roberts of Goodman, Eden, Millender & Bedrosian. The original suit, Carson et al. v First Security Savings, was filed in U.S. District Court by FHC-Detroit Co operating Attorney Stephen R. Tomkowiak. Testing by FHC-Detroit supports the claim of discrimination based on race.
After two years of Co-Coordinator of Investigations, Amy Jordan-Rahman is leaving the FHC to concentrate on her doctoral thesis. Amy is working on a Ph.D. in History from the University of Michigan. Her work has taken her to Mississippi this summer where she is interviewing those involved in the early stages of the welfare rights movement. Amy recruited and trained countless testers, assigned many, many tests, and supervised most of our student interns. We will miss Amy’s skill, humor, and good advice.
Janine Battistone has settled her case against landlord David Johnson. The details of the settlement are undisclosed. Battistone sued Johnson claiming he violated the Michigan Handicappers’ Civil Rights Act by refusing to rent his first floor apartment to Battistone and her family because ten-year old Laura Battistone uses a wheelchair.
Prior to litigation Battistone attempted to conciliate the case by having FHC staff contact the owner. During the conciliation Johnson told FHC staff that his attorney had advised him that he did not have to pay for [making the unit accessible] if it was an undue hardship. FHC staff reminded Johnson that Battistone offered to pay for the ramp herself. FHC Cooperating Attorney Martin Scott filed the suit on behalf of Janine and Laura Battistone. The case was assigned to Judge Claudia Morcom. “We all have the right to be treated fairly” said Battistone after the case was settled.
Scott and Candi Schiller have three children, one too many according to the rules of Meadowbrook Village Apartments in Ann Arbor.
The Schillers contacted the FHC with a complaint of discrimination based on familial status after they inquired about an apartment at Meadowbrook Village, a McKinley Properties complex. According to the Schillers, they were told that the complex had a limit of two people per bedroom. The Schillers reported to the FHC that the bedrooms at Meadowbrook Village were unusually large. The PHC investigation located Meadowbrook units that were, according to the City ofAnn Arbor housing code, large enough for five people.
“We worried that we would have nowhere to move,” said Scott Schiller. Heand Candi Schiller are working and going to school. The suit was filed in Washtenaw County Circuit Court by FHC Cooperating Attorneys Jonathan Rose and Jonathan Weber.The case is assigned to Judge Ann Mattson.
Sarah Tankson filed suit against Thomas Robert Allmand, owner of Arbor Apartments, claiming discrimination based on disability and race. The law suit claims that Arbor Apart ments’ agents violated both the Michigan Handicappers’ Civil Rights Act and the Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Act that bans race discrimination. They refused to rent an apartment to Tankson because she has a disability and therefore receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Tankson is African-American and has a hereditary condition known as myoclonus.
The Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County investigated Tankson’s claim after she contacted the organization in March of 1995. FHC testing and a statement from a witness support Tankson’s claim of discrimination based on disability and race. According to the suit Tankson was forced to move to another complex outside the City of Ann Arbor where she is not eligible for subsidized transportation services.
FHC Cooperating Attorney David Cahill filed the suit in Washtenaw County Circuit Court. The case is assigned to Judge Richard E. Conlin. No date for trial has been set. Tankson also filed a complaint with the City of Ann Arbor claiming discrimination based on source of income. The City of Ann Arbor claim has been forwarded to the City Attorney for consideration.
Sharon Lewis filed a race discrimination suit against Williamsburg Village Apartments in Lyon Township, Michigan. In April 1995 Lewis, a white woman, contacted FHC Cooperating Attorney Michael J. Steinberg about her housing discrimination claim. Steinberg referred the case to the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County for investigation. Lewis planned to share the apartment with Tyrone Tillison, her African-American boyfriend, and their five-year-old son Phillip.
According to the law suit, on the day Lewis moved in (Tillison was to join her ten days later), manager Elizabeth Bell asked Lewis what nationality her “husband” was. When Lewis asked why, Elizabeth Bell responded that Lewis’ son Phillip was “kind of dark.” Lewis told Bell that Phillip’s father was Black. Elizabeth Bell then told Lewis that Phillip’s father could not live at Williamsburg Village Apartments and that Bell also said that there were no Blacks in the area. Bell then told Lewis that only two people were allowed in a two-bedroom apartment.
In May of 1995 Lewis received a letter from owner Richard Perry threatening to evict Lewis unless Tyrone Tillison moved out. Testing conducted by the Fair Housing Center supported Lewis’ claim of discrimination based on race. White testers were told about available two-bedroom apartments while African-American testers were told that no two bedroom units were open. Steinberg filed suit on behalf of Lewis in U.S. District Court. The case is assigned to Judge Denise Page Hood.
Paquita Davis, an African-American doctoral student at the University ofMichigan contacted FHC-Washtenaw with a complaint against First Securities Savings Bank. Davis was turned down at the prequalifying stage in her attempt to buy a home in the $60,000 range. At the time of her complaint she was earning $34,000 as a CPA. Davis went to another lending institution where she was quickly approved fora mortgage to purchase a $62,000 home. Testing by FHC Detroit supports Davis’ claim of discrimination based on race. Davis joins five other families/individuals in the suit against First Security Savings. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court by FHC-Detroit Cooperating Attorney Steven R. Tomkowiak. The case is assigned co Judge Avem Cohn.
Robert Couch, Anna Bentley and their five children rent a house in Augusta Township. On September 21, 1995 Robert Couch returned home from picking up his daughter at work to find a cross burning in the front yard of their Whittaker Road home. The sheriff and fire department responded to the call. According to Couch, initially the law enforcement officers asked the family to keep the charred cross in their back yard, claiming they had no way to transport the seven foot structure nailed to a pedestal. Couch eventually had the fire department haul the cross out of his yard.
At a meeting held two weeks later community members along with the Couch/Bentley family talked about the cross burning and began to discuss a community response to the incident as well as racial harassment of African-American children, including the Couch children, at neighborhood schools. Plans include coordinating visitors to the Couch/Bentley home, a clergy-sponsored anti racism event, and the distribution of anti-racist yard signs (to be coordinated by the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County).
For more information about the community response contact The Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County.
To our Coordinator of Investigations Amy Jordan-Rahman on her marriage to Ahmed Abdur-Rahman in July of this year. We wish them the best and when Ahmed calls, we all get a big kick out of saying “Amy, it’s your husband on line one.”
FHC-Detroit Cooperating Attorney Henry Stencato filed a “Friend of the Court” (Amici Curiae) brief on behalf of the Michigan Fair Housing Centers, The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, and Michigan Protection and Advocacy.
Two law suits filed with the help of Jackson County Fair Housing Center are currently on appeal. Both cases involve couples who were denied housing because they were not married. Stencato’s brief, filed with the Michigan Court of Appeals, supports the interpretation that marital status provisions of the Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act cover people who are not married.
provides investigative services, advocacy and attorney referral to victims of housing discrimination.
The Federal Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (includes sexual harassment), disability or familial statue (families with children). State law in Michigan adds age and marital status. Local ordinances in the cities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti cover sexual orientation, legal source of income and student or non-student status.
In the fall of 1994Stacey Faulk accepted an undisclosed amount to settle her housing discrimination claim against Barbara Maes. According to the suit Ms. Faulk was denied the rental of an apartment at 943 W. Cross in Ypsilanti near the Eastern Michigan University campus because she has a baby. Testing by the FHC supported Faulk’s claim of discrimination based on familial status.
Faulk attempted to resolve the issue through conciliation by Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County staff. “That is student housing and I probably didn’t want children in there” said owner, Barbara Maes, during conciliation. In a letter to the Fair Housing Center Maes’ attorney, William F. Anhut, admitted his client told Faulk the apartment “was not suitable for children.” Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County Cooperating Attorney Michael J. Steinberg filed the lawsuit in Washtenaw County Circuit Court on behalf of Faulk. The case was as signed to Judge William F. Ager. Jr.
This was not the only time Faulk called the FHC with a complaint of discrimination based on familial status. FHC successfully conciliated a complaint against Andover Apartments in Ypsilanti where the owner agreed to offer Faulk a one year lease with no rent for the first six months.
Frank and Elgirtha Worthy settled their race discrimination suit against Briar Cove Apartments in Ann Arbor. In 1992 the Worthys, an African-American couple with one child living at home, contacted the FHC with a complaint of discrimination against the complex located near Briarwood Mall.
Testing conducted by the Fair Housing Center supported the Worthy’s charge of discrimination based on race. The white tester was told of almost immediate availability while the African-American tester was told nothing would not be available for two weeks. The Worthys eventually moved into Briar Cove. According to the law suit, when the Worthys arrived at Briar Cove to move in, the rental agent laughed and said “You are in for a surprise.” The suit claims that the Worthys found the apartment to be “dirty, including dirty carpets, paint dust all over, paint stains on the carpet, dirt all over, unpainted walls or generally a filthy apartment.”
FHC Cooperating Attorney James C. Barnes, Jr. filed suit on behalf of the Worthys in Wayne County Circuit Court. The case was assigned to Judge Michael L. Stacey. The FHC’s review of court documents found that the terms of the settlement are not disclosed. Through an agreement with the defendant, the Worthys and their attorney are prohibited from discussing the case or the terms of the settlement.
According to the settlement agreement University Town houses will “treat same sex couples in the same matter as it treats unmarried couples for the purpose of accepting and acting on applications for membership …” and will pay the couples’ moving expenses provided they are approved. The agreement also calls for an undisclosed cash settlement to FHC complainants Gretchen Fogel and Carla Daniel to resolve their complaint of discrimination based on sex, marital status, and sexual orientation.
“I’m delighted with the outcome” said FHC Cooperating Attorney Helen Gallagher. “It is important to recognize the diversity among families today and to understand that same sex couples are families and ought to be treated that way under the law”.
A couple for over fifteen years, Fogel and Daniels were denied the opportunity to apply jointly to the Coop because they were not related by blood or marriage. This cases is believed to be the first time that marital status and sex provisions of the Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act were used to uphold the housing rights of a same sex couple. University Townhouses Cooperative is a federally subsidized, non-profit housing cooperative located in Ann Arbor.
Janine Battistone filed suit against landlord David Johnson claiming discrimination based on disability. The law suit claims that Johnson violated the Michigan Handicappers’ Civil Rights Act by refusing to rent his first floor apartment to Battistone and her family because ten year-old Laura Battistone uses a wheelchair.
Battistone told the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County that she explained to Johnson that the apartment met her family’s needs and that she would have a ramp to the front door installed at her own expense. Battistone later called Johnson and made an appointment to see the unit again and to return a completed application.
According to Battistone, Johnson canceled the appointment saying he couldn’t afford to make the unit accessible. Battistone said she reminded him that she would pay for the ramp and that no other alterations were required. FHC testing supports Battistone’s discrimination claim. FHC Cooperating Attorney Martin Scott filed the suit in Wayne County Circuit Court on behalf of Janine and Laura Battistone. The case is assigned to Judge Claudia Morcom. The case was filed in April 1995.
Oscar Matts sued Lakeview Mobile Home Park for refusing to pay for widening the driveway of his mobile home lot. Mr. Matts uses a wheelchair and needs the extra space to use the lift for his van. The Michigan Handicappers’ Civil Rights Act states that a landlord “…shall accommodate a [person with a disability] for purposes of housing unless the [landlord] demonstrates that the accommodation would impose an undue hardship.” The cost of the modification was $428. FHC Cooperating Attorney David Cahill filed the law suit in Washtenaw County Circuit Court. The case, filed in March of 1995, is assigned to Judge Karl V. Fink.
Yma Johnson filed a race discrimination suit against University Management Inc. In her complaint to the Fair Housing Center, Johnson stated that she and a white friend wanted to rent an apartment at 510 N. Congress in downtown Ypsilanti where the friend knew the manager. In a letter to the FHC, Johnson’s friend wrote about her conversation with the manager’s cousin an then with the manager himself – “I told him what [his cousin] had told me, that he wouldn’t rent to Yma because she was Black and he said yes, that was true.” The letter, along with testing evidence, supports Ms. Johnson’s discrimination claim.
In March of 1995, FHC Cooperating Attorney Michael J. Steinberg filed suit on behalf of Ms. Johnson in Washtenaw County Circuit Court. The case is assigned to Judge Patrick J. Conlin.
FHC-Washtenaw Cooperating Attorney David Cahill filed a lawsuit on behalf of Deborah Johnson. According to the suit, filed in Washtenaw County Circuit Court, Johnson was denied the rental of a two-bedroom apartment at Stadium Apartments in Ann Arbor because she had three children in her family.
According to Johnson she was told that she couldn’t rent the apartment because she planned to share a room with her niece, that the complex did not really want children in the units, and that they usually denied families with children. Statements from a witness support Johnson’s claim of discrimination based on familial status. The case is assigned to Chief Judge Melinda Morris. The case was filed in January 1995.
The Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County is pleased to introduce our newest Coordinator of Investigations, Mary Bejian. Mary will work part-time at the PRC and continue her work as the volunteer coordinator at S.O.S. Crisis Center in Ypsilanti.
Mary is a graduate of the University ofMichigan and has worked as a volunteer with the FHC for the past year. Mary is an excellent addition to the staff and we look forward to benefiting from her extensive community contacts.
Cheryl Helm very generously donated $572.30 to The Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County, the largest individual gift ever made to the FHC. Helm donated an equal amount to the Ann Arbor Tenants Union. The FHC worked with Helm to file a familial status case in 1993.
The Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County will hold our Third Annual Meeting for members on Tuesday, October 25, 1994 at the First Methodist Church located at 602 E. Huron at State St. in Ann Arbor. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a light buffet dinner. After the meeting and election of new board members we can go over MLB 4 for the film and panel. The panel begins at 7:30 p.m. and the film at 8:30 p.m.
This is the Ann Arbor Premiere of “Freedom on My Mind”. The award winning film documents the 1964 Mississippi Voter Registration Project. Speakers from 1964 and 1994 Mississippi Summer will participate in a panel discussion before the film. The film, released this summer in New York is sponsored by the National Lawyers Guild UM Chapter, Shaman Drum Bookshop, and Espresso Royal Caffe. Ticket are $5-$20 sliding scale with proceeds benefitting the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County.
In August Marlyss Magennis accepted an offer of $12,000 to settle her familial status claim against duplex owner Edna Shoner. The suit was filed last September in Washtenaw County Circuit Court by cooperating attorney David Cahill. According to Magennis she was prevented from renting a duplex on Bemis Road in southeastern Washtenaw County because she lived with her then seventeen-year-old son.
According to the suit Shoner expressed reservations about renting to Magennis because she had a child. The law suit went on to claim that Shoner yelled at Magennis stating that the duplex was her place and that she would rent to whomever she wanted.
In the course of litigation it was discovered that Shoner had also obtained an unauthorized copy of Magennis’ credit report in violation of the Federal Fair Credit law. Shoner signed a written statement falsely stating that she had the permission of Marlyss Magennis to obtain her credit records.
Testing conducted by the Fair Housing Center confirmed that Shoner offered to show the unit to a family with two adults and stated ” … I’d just like to keep it adults; only adults live on the side.” The case was assigned to Judge Kurtis T. Wilder. Magennis will use the settlement money for a down payment on a home.
According to the records of the Wayne County Court, Frank and Elgirtha Worthy have settled their race discrimination suit against Briar Cove Apartments in Ann Arbor. In November 1992 the Worthys, an African-American couple with one child living at home, contacted the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County with a complaint against the complex located near Briarwood Mall.
In their complaint to the FHC the Worthys stated that they believed they were being given false and incomplete information about the availability of units as they sought to rent at Briar Cove. According to the Worthys, they went to see a unit and were told the unit they sought was not available and were told of a “no pets” policy. The Worthys have dog.
According to Mrs. Worthy, she called the next day without identifying herself and was told that the preferred unit was available and that Briar Cove did accept dogs. Testing conducted by the Fair Housing Center supports the Worthy’s charge of discrimination based on race.
The Worthys eventually moved into Briar Cove. According to the law suit, when the Worthys arrived at Briar Cove to move in, the rental agent laughed and said “You are in for a surprise”. The suit claims that the Worthys found the apartment to be “dirty, including dirty carpets, paint dust all over, paint stains on the carpet, dirt all over, unpainted walls or generally a filthy apartment”. In April of 1994 FHC Washtenaw Cooperating Attorney James C. Barnes, Jr. filed suit on behalf of the Worthys in Wayne County Circuit Court. The case was assigned to Judge Michael L. Stacey. No further information is available about the settlement.
In August 1994, Cooperating Attorney Michael J. Steinberg filed a lawsuit on behalf of Stacey Faulk. According to the suit, filed in Washtenaw County Circuit Court, Ms. Faulk was denied the rental of an apartment at 943 W. Cross in Ypsilanti near the Eastern Michigan University campus because she has a baby. The case is assigned to Judge William F. Ager, Jr..
Faulk contacted the Fair Housing Center in January 1994 to report that she had answered an ad in EMU’s Eastern Echo for a one-bedroom apartment. According to Faulk she was told that she couldn’t rent the apartment because she had a child and that the housing was for students. Faulk had attended Eastern Michigan University and was planning to return. Testing by the FHC supports Faulk’s claim of discrimination based on familial status.
Faulk attempted to resolve the issue through conciliation by Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County staff. “That is student housing and I probably didn’t want children in there” said owner, Barbara Maes, during the conciliation. In a letter to the Fair Housing Center Maes’ attorney, William F. Anhut, admitted his client told Faulk the apartment “was not suitable for children.”
The letter went on to say that the apartment was still available and the if Faulk met Maes’ usual standards she could rent the unit. At that point Faulk choose to go ahead with the litigation. “I was insulted that it took threatening legal action just to give me the chance to apply for the apartment.” said Faulk.
In August FHC Cooperating Attorney Michael J. Steinberg filed a familial status lawsuit on behalf of Regina Armstrong. According to the suit, filed in U. S. District Court, Ms. Armstrong was forced to move from her apartment in Ypsilanti because she had a son and complained to the police about noise from other tenants in the building.
In August 1992 Armstrong moved into the downtown Ypsilanti apartment. Three days later, according to the suit: Armstrong called the police to report loud music at about 1:00 a.m., the police arrived and warned the tenants who lowered the volume temporarily and turned it up again to extremely high volume when the police left. The Police returned and ticketed the tenants for the noise violation. Later, Armstrong reported that her neighbors called her names and threatened her with eviction.
According to the suit, the owner forced Armstrong to move out the next day. Armstrong said she was told by owner, Joan French, that the other tenants shouldn’t have to change their life style to accommodate Ms. Armstrong and her than nine-year-old son and that she should never have rented to a family with a child. Testing by the FHC supports Armstrong’s claim of discrimination based on familial status.
Armstrong left reluctantly paying her own moving expenses. French’s alternate apartment was smaller and had serious repair problems including the absence of cold running water. The repair problems led Armstrong to seek the help of attorney, Lisa Ruby, at Legal Services of South Eastern Michigan who later suggested that Armstrong contact the FHC. The case is assigned to Federal Judge Nancy Edmunds.
On August 14, 1994 FHC Board Member Jerome Anton Strong died after a long illness. Jerome served as a founding Board Member of the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County. He brought to the Board his unflagging vision that the Fair Housing Center remain closely aligned with those who are the targets of discrimination.
Jerome was always there with the right quote for the press when the Fair Housing Center needed him and despite the limitations brought by his health he remained active in his fight for equality, for the rights of children, and for equal housing and credit opportunity. Jerome dedicated his life to justice and serves as a model to all of us. The Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County staff and Board Members acknowledge our gratitude for the opportunity we had to know and work with Jerome and extend our sympathy to Jerome’s family and other friends. Because ofJerome’s commitment to the welfar eof all children, donation in his name may be made to: The Student Advocacy Center of Michigan NEW Center Building Suite 212, 1100 North Main St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104 .
Tashie Hawkins settled her housing discrimination suit against Maplewood Apartments in March of 1994. The amount of the settlement is undisclosed, but includes funds for a down payment available for Hawkins to purchase a home. “I feel much better now that Maplewood has been penalized for how they treated me” said Hawkins, a student at Eastern Michigan University.
Hawkins contacted the FHC in April of 1993. In her complaint Hawkins said she tried to rent a two bedroom apartment at Maplewood Apartments in Ypsilanti Township for herself, her three-year-old daughter and her infant son. Hawkins reported being told she was ineligible for a two bedroom unit because she had a son and a daughter.
According to the lawsuit filed by Cooperating Attorney Michael J. Steinberg, Hawkins was denied the opportunity to fill out or submit an application for a two bedroom apartment because Maplewood had policies that prohibited a brother and sister from sharing a bedroom and that barred a child from sharing a bedroom with a parent. Testing conducted by the Fair Housing Center provided evidence that Maplewood Apartments maintained these policies. The case was assigned to Judge Donald E. Shelton. Through the Washtenaw County Bar Association Pro-Bono Program, Michael Steinberg was aided by Attorneys Steve Gray of Legal Services of Southeastern Michigan and Michael O. Love of Dykema Gossett.
In May 1994, fifteen-year-old Natasha Franke and her parents Jim and Janet Franke settled their disability discrimination case against McKinley Properties, the owners of Glencoe Hills Apartments, for $15,000 plus $3500 set aside for the installation of an electric exterior door. This case is believed to be the first attempt to enforce the landlord’s duty to pay for modifications under the Michigan Handicapper’s Civil Rights Act (MHCRA). The apartment, located on the ground floor, had five steps leading to a landing and then five steps going back down. Natasha has Muscular Dystrophy and uses a wheelchair. Since 1989, the Frankes had on many occasions requested that McKinley Properties remove the front steps. Each time McKinley refused, including September 1992 when the property owner ripped out the worn steps and replaced them with a new set of stairs.
In September 1993, the stairs to the apartment were finally removed. Attorneys for McKinley credit the picketing of Glencoe Hills Apartments by advocacy groups (ADAPT/Michigan and the Homeless Action Committee) with their decision to make the initial improvements.
The Michigan Handicappers’ Civil Rights Act states that a corporation “… shall accommodate a [person with a disability] for purposes of housing unless the [corporation] demonstrates that the accommodation would impose an undue hardship”. McKinley is the fourth largest residential property management company in Michigan. The case was assigned to Washtenaw County Circuit Court Judge Patrick Conlin. Congratulations to the Frankes and Cooperating Attorney Martin Scott.
Marlyss Magennis contacted the Fair Housing Center in July of 1993 with a complaint of housing discrimination. According to Magennis she was prevented from renting a duplex on Bemis Road in southeastern Washtenaw County because she lives with her 17-year-old son.
Testing conducted by the Fair Housing Center confirmed that Shoner offered to show the unit to a family with two adults and stated “… I’d just like to keep it adults; only adults live on the side.”
According to the lawsuit filed in September 1993, the property owner, Edna Shoner, expressed reservations about renting to Magennis because she had a son. The law suit goes on to claim that Shoner began yelling at Magennis about her son. She stated that the duplex was her place and that she would rent to whomever she wanted. The suit filed by cooperating attorney David Cahill in Washtenaw County Circuit Court alleges discrimination based on familial status. The case is assigned to Judge Kurtis T. Wilder.
In October 1993 the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County and Margaret Shannon, a single parent with one child, filed a lawsuit in Federal Court suing Camelot Apartments in Ypsilanti, Michigan for discrimination against families with children.
According to the suit Camelot Apartments denied Shannon and her then four-year-old son the opportunity to rent a one-bedroom apartment and also “made, printed and published notices and statements with respect to the rental of the dwelling that indicate preference, limitations and discrimination based on familial status”.
The Camelot Apartments application stated a policy of “one person or one couple per bedroom.” Testing conducted by the Fair Housing Center supports the claim of discrimination against families with children. The suit was filed by Fair Housing Center Cooperating Attorneys Sarah J. Stitt and Steve Dane of Cooper, Straub, Walinski & Cramer. This is the first time the Fair Housing Center has joined a fair housing suit.
Carla Daniels and Gretchen Fogel, a lesbian couple, have been a family for 15 years. In March of 1991 the couple went to apply for a unit at University Townhouses, a cooperative in Ann Arbor. According to the lawsuit filed in Washtenaw County Circuit Court, Fogel and Daniels were told that they must be related by blood or law in order to qualify for entrance into the co op. The application at University Townhouses Cooperative states: ” The family is understood to be two or more people related by blood or law. Unmarried couples (male & female) constitute a family also.”
The suit, filed in March 1994 by Cooperating Attorney Helen Gallagher, alleges violations of the Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act and the City of Ann Arbor Human Rights Ordinance. The Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act bans discrimination based on sex and marital status and the City of Ann Arbor Human Rights Ordinance prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. The case is assigned to Chief Judge Melinda Morris.
On April 18, 1994 Frank and Elgirtha Worthy filed a race discrimination suit against Briar Cove Apartments in Ann Arbor. In November 1992 the Worthys, an African-American couple with one child living at home, contacted the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County with a complaint of race discrimination against the complex, located near Briarwood Mall.
In their complaint to the FHC the Worthys stated that they believed they were being given false and incomplete information about the availability of units as they sought to rent at Briar Cove. According to the Worthys, they went to see a unit and were told the unit they sought was not available. According to Mrs. Worthy, she called the next day without identifying herself and was told that the preferred unit was available. Testing conducted by the Fair Housing Center supports the Worthy’s charge of discrimination based on race.
The Worthys eventually moved into Briar Cove. According to the law suit, when the Worthys arrived at Briar Cove to move in, the rental agent laughed and said “You are in for a surprise.” The Worthys then found the apartment to be in filthy condition. FHC-Washtenaw Cooperating Attorney James C. Barnes, Jr. filed suit on behalf of the Worthys in Wayne County Circuit Court. The case was assigned to Judge Michael L. Stacey.
On April 4, 1994 Ann Arbor lost a champion of civil rights. The Fair Housing Center Board of Directors and staff mourn the loss of local civil rights leader, Dr. Albert H. Wheeler. In 1963 Dr. Wheeler worked to make Ann Arbor the first city in Michigan and one of the first cities in the country to have a fair housing ordinance. Dr. Wheeler was elected Mayor of Ann Arbor in 1975 and 1977. He was Ann Arbor’s first and only Black Mayor. Dr. Wheeler and his wife Emma Wheeler dedicated their lives to justice and equality for African-Americans and the poor. We continue to be inspired by his work and dedicated to carrying out a small part of what he and many others began fifty years ago.
The Fair Housing Center is pleased to announce that Ruth Kraut and Amy Jordan have joined the staff of the FHC, both as part-time Coordinators of Investigations. Ruth has been a Fair Housing Center volunteer and is employed with the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor where she works as the Educational Outreach Coordinator presenting programs to public school children. Amy is pursuing her Doctorate in History from the University of Michigan and currently teaches African-American History at Washtenaw Community College, also on a part-time basis.
Legislative Fair Housing Updates in the State of Michigan In recent months, Michigan has seen significant updates to its fair housing laws, including amendments to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) and progress on source of income antidiscrimination bills. ELCRA Amendments: Expanded Protections Now in Effect This year, amendments to the ELCRA have broadened the […]
Breakfast Event Celebrates Fair Housing Advancements and Challenges Our keynote speaker was John Reiman, the founder and managing partner of civil rights law firm Reiman Colfax. For more than 30 years, he has represented individual plaintiffs, cities, and civil rights organizations in many of the country’s most important civil rights cases and pioneered groundbreaking fair […]
FHC Expands to Meet Community Needs The Fair Housing Center of Southeast & Mid Michigan’s staff is growing thanks to new grants from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), the United Way of Washtenaw County, and the Washtenaw County Office of Community & Economic Development’s New Human Services Partnership. With complaints to our office […]
FHC Files Four Lawsuits Based on Criminal Background and Race The Fair Housing Center has been working on issues related to criminal background and housing for several years now. In our 2014 newsletter we wrote about the nexus between race (particularly Black and Latino) and incarceration rates, and how that translated into housing inequities. Policies […]
Need for Fair Housing Continues to Rise Yoder, FHC v. McDonell New Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Sarah Yoder contacted the Fair Housing Center in August 2018 to file a sexual harassment complaint against Ryan McDonell. Ms. Yoder says she was asked to do a striptease in exchange for negotiating a lower rent. Ms. Yoder, a 39-year-old […]
New Fair Housing Lawsuit Filed Against MSU Sorority Kayla Hicks is suing Alpha Omicron Pi (AOII) for denying her the right to live in her sorority with an emotional support animal (ESA) while she was a student at Michigan State University. According to the complaint taken by the Fair Housing Center in the fall of […]
Tankson v Randolph Court FHC Settles Case for Wheelchair User Forced to Crawl into Home The Fair Housing Center of Southeast & Mid Michigan has assisted in the settlement of a housing discrimination lawsuit against Group Five Management Company and TG Properties LLC, the owners of Randolph Court Apartments in Ann Arbor. Sarah Tankson, who […]
No Section 8? No Way! FHC Challenges Discriminatory Zoning Code The Fair Housing Center filed a complaint with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) against Ypsilanti Township regarding the planned 398-unit Majestic Lakes subdivision. As a condition of the sale of the land to a developer, the Ypsilanti Township Board of […]
Scott v Swan Creek Paula Scott accepted a non-disclosed settlement to resolve her lawsuit against Swan Creek Mobile Home Community in Ypsilanti Township. In April 2014, the FHC took a complaint from Paula Scott. Ms. Scott was referred to the Fair Housing Center by Legal Services of South Central Michigan (LSSCM). Ms. Scott reported that […]
Case Updates $20,000 to Monroe Mom Discrimination Against Families with Kids Case Settles Cicily Pippens of Monroe has settled her housing discrimination lawsuit against landlord Mildred Trkula for $20,000, with assistance from the Fair Housing Center of Southeastern Michigan. Ms. Pippens contacted the Fair Housing Center in January 2013 to report that the agent at […]
Discrimination against Kids A new fair housing case heads to Federal Court Cicily Pippens contacted the Fair Housing Center to report that the agent at a West Eighth Street property, in the City of Monroe, took a rental application out of her hands after the agent learned that Ms. Pippens has two children. The FHC […]
Dear Friends, This year marks our 20th Anniversary! The Fair Housing Center of Metropolitan Detroit helped us get started in 1992 with a $20,000 grant from HUD. The Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County officially opened for business on February 17, 1992. In 2002, we changed our name to the Fair Housing Center of Southeastern […]
Disability Advocacy a Top Priority for FHC Darrian Has Room to Play Reasonable modification Darrian Shaffer is a 35-month-old toddler who suffered from HSV Encephalitis, an illness that left him with a significant amount of brain damage. He is at the cognitive level of a 6-9 month old. Darrian’s disability impedes his understanding of language- […]
Lowrey & FHC v. Uptown in Canton Apartments Apartment Complex to Renovate 97 Units Largest-ever FHC settlement award; plaintiffs accept $272,500 In a landmark settlement, the Fair Housing Center of Southeastern Michigan has negotiated an agreement which will require the Uptown in Canton Apartments complex to renovate 97 first-floor units, in order to fully comply […]
Thanks to a new grant, the Fair Housing Center of Southeastern Michigan (FHC) now provides services in Ingham, Jackson and Livingston counties. The 3-year grant funded under the HUD Fair Housing Initiatives Program – Performance Based Funding Component (FHIP-PBFC) allows us to formally expand our enforcement area. We started by hiring Jasmine Cooper, our new […]
Tyus v Fairway Trails Tyus case pushes FHC over $1,000,000 mark When Harry Tyus accepted $50,000 to settle his claim against Fairway Trails Apartments, FHC aided settlements went over the $1,000,000 mark. The Tyus v Fairway Trails victory was a group effort involving the Fair Housing Center, Legal Services of South Central Michigan, Washtenaw County […]
Frye v Keystone Management Group / Parkway Meadows Apartments $50,000 for Parkway Meadows TenantAnn Arbor Carol Frye asked the management of her complex for permission to install a ramp and roll-in shower at her own expense. “Your requests are denied” said the letter from Keystone. The management company said neither of the requests was possible. […]
Mackey v Parkhill Apartments $11,500 Settles Race Discrimination Suit, Same Complex Sued in 1997 When Rashawnda and Marcus Mackey, an African-American couple, were denied an apartment at Parkhill Apartments, Ms. Mackey was suspicious. She contacted the Fair Housing Center to report the denial. FHC staff were familiar with Parkhill Apartments. In 1997, FHC assist ed […]
Moody and Stowe v Frey $20,000 Settles Gender Discrimination Case Two men, Shannon Moody and Robert Stowe, accepted $20,000 to settle their sex discrimination suit against Roland and Joan Frey of Ann Arbor. According to the suit, Roland and Joan Frey refused to rent their Potter Street apartment to two men. Moody and Stowe contacted […]
Coates et. al. v Myers et. al. $166,200 Settles Sex Harassment Suit On October 23, the Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County announced the settlement of a civil action for sexual harassment, Coates et. al. v Myers et. al. The case began with a few women meeting with Fair Housing Center staff and ended with […]
Coates et. al. v Myer Sexual Harassment/Race Discrimination Suit Filed They all answered the same ad: “FEMALE NEEDED. Elegant home, near WCC. Jacuzzi, laundry, $280+. 572-0724.” and now, Rachel Coates, Amanda Coffin, Erin Cuniffe, Cynthia Moening, Dawn Ottinger and Sarah Ruggles have filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against their former landlords, Raymond Scott Myers and […]
Thomas v Parkhill Pamela Thomas has accepted $7,500 to settle her housing discrimination claim against Parkhill Apartments. According to the suit filed in February of 1997, Ms. Thomas was denied the rental of an apartment at 1932 Washtenaw Ave. in Ypsilanti because she has children and children were prohibited from occupying apartments on all but […]
Patterson v The Pines Is Settled: GO DEB! Deborah Patterson has at last settled her disability discrimination claim against The Pines of Cloverlane apartment complex for an undisclosed amount. Patterson’s initial request for modification to the door and sidewalk outside her building came in late 1994. Final work on the sidewalk wasn’t completed until the […]
Tankson v Arbor Apartments Race and Disability Bias Suit Settled Sarah Tankson has accepted $5,000 to settle her suit against Thomas Robert Allmand, owner of Arbor Apartments. Tankson sued Allmand in 19951 claiming discrimination based on disability and race. Arbor Apartments are located at 3310 Packard at Fernwood. According to the suit, Arbor Apartments’ agents […]
Lewis v Williamsburg Village Apartments $32,500 Settles Race Discrimination Case Sharon Lewis and Tyrone Tillison have accepted $32,500 to settle a race discrimination suit against Williamsburg Village Apartments in Lyon Township, Michigan. In April, 1995 Lewis, a white woman, contacted Fair Housing Center Cooperating Attorney Michael J. Steinberg about her housing discrimination claim. Steinberg referred […]
Brannan v The Fourmidable Group $10,000 Settles Disability Suit When a water pipe burst in Phyllis Brannan’s apartment she asked the manager at Pine Valley Apartments to repair the damage one room at a time to accommodate her disability. They refused and Brannan, who had lived at Pine Valley for twenty-one years, was forced to […]
Battistone v Johnson Disability Case Settles Janine Battistone has settled her case against landlord David Johnson. The details of the settlement are undisclosed. Battistone sued Johnson claiming he violated the Michigan Handicappers’ Civil Rights Act by refusing to rent his first floor apartment to Battistone and her family because ten-year old Laura Battistone uses a […]
Faulk v Maes In the fall of 1994Stacey Faulk accepted an undisclosed amount to settle her housing discrimination claim against Barbara Maes. According to the suit Ms. Faulk was denied the rental of an apartment at 943 W. Cross in Ypsilanti near the Eastern Michigan University campus because she has a baby. Testing by the […]
The Fair Housing Center of Washtenaw County will hold our Third Annual Meeting for members on Tuesday, October 25, 1994 at the First Methodist Church located at 602 E. Huron at State St. in Ann Arbor. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a light buffet dinner. After the meeting and election of new […]
Hawkins v Maplewood FHC Settles New Familial Status Case Tashie Hawkins settled her housing discrimination suit against Maplewood Apartments in March of 1994. The amount of the settlement is undisclosed, but includes funds for a down payment available for Hawkins to purchase a home. “I feel much better now that Maplewood has been penalized for […]