Housing and Civil Enforcement Cases

On August 3, 2004, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida entered the consent order in United States v. Robert Yanofsky, d/b/a South Bank Apartments (S.D. Fla.). The complaint, filed on February 20, 2003, alleged the defendant, the owner and manager of South Bank Apartments, a 48-unit apartment building in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, violated the Fair Housing Act by maintaining and enforcing a lease provision that explicitly prohibited all children under 18 from living in the complex. The complaint also alleged the defendant's actions constituted a pattern or practice of discrimination and a denial of rights to a group of persons based on familial status. Under the consent order, the defendant will pay a total of $70,000 to four families with children and a $5,000 civil penalty to the United States. The owner is also required to inform all tenants of the agreement and to ensure that South Bank Apartment employees are trained in the relevant provisions of the Fair Housing Act. The consent order will remain in effect for two years.

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.