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Case Name
United States v. Latvian Tower Condominium
FH-NE-0001
Docket / Court
8:08-cv-489 ( D. Neb. )
State/Territory
Nebraska
Case Type(s)
Fair Housing/Lending/Insurance
Attorney Organization
U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division
Case Summary
On October 29, 2008, the United States filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska, under the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. §3601-3619, against a condominium association and its president. The U.S. brought the case on behalf of two residents of the condominium ...
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On October 29, 2008, the United States filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska, under the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. §3601-3619, against a condominium association and its president. The U.S. brought the case on behalf of two residents of the condominium complex who claimed the defendants engaged in illegal discrimination on the basis of familial status by declaring in their Amended Master Deed and Declaration that no unit should be "sold or leased to a person who has a child under the age of 16 who will occupy or reside in the unit 180 days or more a year." The complainants wished to sell their unit, but the U.S. alleged that they were unable to do so because the Association interfered with the sale by actively discouraging prospective buyers who had children. The complainants intervened in the case on August 10, 2009.
After discovery, the parties entered mediation, and on March 3, 2010, the Court (Judge Warren K. Urbom) approved a three-year consent decree. In addition to a general prohibition against discrimination in the sale or rental of the condominium units, the decree required the defendants to develop and post a non-discrimination policy and to amend the master deed to excise the prohibition against families with children. Defendants agreed to pay $77,500 to the complainants, an additional $35,000 to other aggrieved parties, and a $15,000 civil penalty to the United States.
The consent decree terminated in 2013 without any further litigation. The case is now closed.
- 10/17/2012
- 12/01/2018
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Issues and Causes of Action
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Issues
Content of Injunction
Develop anti-discrimination policy
Discrimination Prohibition
Provide antidiscrimination training
Reporting
Discrimination-area
Housing Sales/Rental
Discrimination-basis
Family discrimination
General
Disparate Treatment
Housing
Plaintiff Type
U.S. Dept of Justice plaintiff
Causes of Action
Fair Housing Act/Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA), 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601 et seq.
Case Details
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Defendant(s)
Latvian Tower Condominium
Plaintiff Description
United States, on behalf of complainants whose ability to sell their condo unit was undermined by a "no family" restriction on the master deed.
Indexed Lawyer Organizations
U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division
Class action status sought
No
Class action status granted
No
Filed Pro Se
No
Prevailing Party
Plaintiff
Public Int. Lawyer
Yes
Nature of Relief
Damages
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief
Settlement
Form of Settlement
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Order Duration
2010 - 2013
Filed
10/29/2008
Case Closing Year
2013
Case Ongoing
No
Additional Resources
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See this case
at CourtListener.com
(May provide additional documents and, for active cases, real-time alerts)
The Origins of Fair Lending Litigation
Date: Dec. 4, 2008
By: Andrew Nash (Washington University in St. Louis Law Student)
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Documents
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Court
Docket(s)
D. Neb.
10/29/2008
8:08-cv-00489
FH-NE-0001-9000.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
General Documents
D. Neb.
10/29/2008
Complaint
FH-NE-0001-0001.pdf
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Detail
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Special Litigation Section
D. Neb.
03/03/2010
Consent Decree [ECF# 81]
FH-NE-0001-0002.pdf
|
Detail
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Special Litigation Section
People
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Judges
Urbom, Warren Keith
(D. Neb.)
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FH-NE-0001-0002 | FH-NE-0001-9000
Plaintiff's Lawyers
Bond, Rebecca B.
(District of Columbia)
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FH-NE-0001-0001 | FH-NE-0001-0002 | FH-NE-0001-9000
Dull, Robin L.
(District of Columbia)
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FH-NE-0001-0001 | FH-NE-0001-0002 | FH-NE-0001-9000
Gilg, Deborah R.
(Nebraska)
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FH-NE-0001-0002 | FH-NE-0001-9000
Kelly, Laurie A.
(Nebraska)
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FH-NE-0001-0001 | FH-NE-0001-0002 | FH-NE-0001-9000
Ruge, Douglas W.
(Nebraska)
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FH-NE-0001-0002 | FH-NE-0001-9000
Stecher, Joe W.
(Nebraska)
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FH-NE-0001-0001
Defendant's Lawyers
McVay, James B.
(Nebraska)
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FH-NE-0001-0002 | FH-NE-0001-9000
Moore, Scott P.
(Nebraska)
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FH-NE-0001-0002
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