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 case terminated on March 3, 2010.

- 10/17/2012


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