United States v. Higgins (S.D.N.Y.)

On November 19, 2019, the court entered a consent decree in United States v. Higgins (S.D.N.Y.).  The complaint, which was filed by the United States Attorney's Office on April 5, 2019, alleges that the owner and property manager of a seven-unit rental property in New York, NY violated the Fair Housing Act by refusing a reasonable accommodation to allow a tenant with psychiatric disabilities to live with an emotional support German Shepherd in his unit and by billing the tenant attorney’s fees for related eviction court proceedings. The consent decree requires the defendants to pay $16,000 to the HUD complainant, continue to allow him to keep an emotional support animal, waive all claims against him for attorneys’ fees, create a new reasonable accommodations policy, obtain fair housing training and be subjected to various reporting and recordkeeping requirements. The case was referred to the Division after the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received a complaint, conducted an investigation and issued a charge of discrimination.