Housing and Civil Enforcement Cases

On September 30, 2003, the United States filed a complaint in United States v. Little Rock Planning Commission (E.D. Ark.), alleging that the Commission violated the Fair Housing Act on the basis of race when it denied a special use permit to an African American family who wanted to build a manufactured home in a white residential neighborhood. The complaint alleges that the Commission voted to deny the permit after white residents opposed the request at a public hearing although the application met all applicable zoning requirements and the manufactured home was compatible with the existing area, which included other manufactured homes and mobile homes. On October 4, 2004, the parties agreed to a Stipulation of Voluntary Dismissal. 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.

On February 18, 2005, a jury returned a verdict of $314,209 ($14,209 in compensatory damages and $300,000 in punitive damages) for the United States and plaintiff-intervenor Joyce Grad in United States v. Royalwood Cooperative Apts., Inc. (E.D. Mich.). The complaint, filed on August 8, 2003, alleged that the defendants violated the Fair Housing Act by refusing to waive a no-pets rule to allow the complainant to keep an emotional support dog in her unit. The case was handled primarily by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit. 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.