Filed Date: July 19, 2010
Closed Date: 2013
Clearinghouse coding complete
On July 19, 2010, the United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit under the Fair Housing Act of 1988, §42 U.S.C. §§3601-3631 against the owner and manager of a four-unit apartment building in Monroe, New Hampshire. The plaintiff brought the suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire, on behalf of a mixed-national origin and race family, claiming the Defendant engaged in discriminatory housing practices. The complaint sets out allegations involving ethnic slurs and other bad treatment of the complainant family, including incidents that led to the arrest of the landlord and state court orders against him. The U.S. sought to enjoin further discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin and asked for compensatory and punitive damages to the complainants. The complainants intervened in the suit a few months later.
On April 7, 2011, the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire (Judge Landya McCafferty) approved a consent decree. The decree enjoined the defendant and its employees from making statements with respect to the rental of a dwelling that indicated a preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, or national origin; or coercing, threatening, intimidating, or interfering with any tenant's exercised or enjoyed rights. The defendant was required to get tenants' permission prior to entering units, except to make emergency repairs. In addition, the defendant agreed to undertake fair housing training of all employees, and a set of recordkeeping and reporting requirements. Finally, the defendant agreed to pay the complainants $15,000 in compensatory damages. The consent order was set to last two years, unless the defendant retained any direct or indirect ownership, management, or other financial interest in any residential rental property, in which case the consent order was to remain in effect for three years.
The consent decree terminated without any further litigation, and the case is now closed.
Summary Authors
Clearinghouse (12/1/2018)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/12698797/parties/united-states-v-riba/
Farley, John (New Hampshire)
Hagler, Tamar (District of Columbia)
Kacavas, John P (New Hampshire)
Burt, Gary M (New Hampshire)
Feltes, Daniel (New Hampshire)
McCafferty, Landya B. (New Hampshire)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/12698797/united-states-v-riba/
Last updated Feb. 6, 2024, 3:05 a.m.
State / Territory: New Hampshire
Case Type(s):
Fair Housing/Lending/Insurance
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: July 19, 2010
Closing Date: 2013
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division on behalf of a family of mixed race and national origin.
Plaintiff Type(s):
U.S. Dept of Justice plaintiff
Attorney Organizations:
U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Lothar Riba (Monroe), Private Entity/Person
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Fair Housing Act/Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601 et seq.
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Amount Defendant Pays: 15,000
Order Duration: 2011 - 2013
Content of Injunction:
Develop anti-discrimination policy
Provide antidiscrimination training
Issues
General:
Discrimination-area:
Discrimination-basis:
National origin discrimination
Race:
National Origin/Ethnicity: