Justice Department Settles Georgia Disability Lawsuit Against Landlord

The Justice Department has announced that it has reached a settlement with the owners and managers of the Hickory Plantation and Willow Way Apartments. Both complexes are located in Camden County, Georgia. The settlement will resolve a lawsuit that the Department had filed against them. The suit alleged that both of the complexes had discriminated against the disabled.

The complaint states that the defendants, namely Herbert Bolt, Betty Bolt, and Herbert Bolt, Jr. were in violation of the Fair Housing Act when they refused to rent an apartment at Hickory Plantation to a visually impaired individual who used a guide dog.

If the agreement is approved by the courts, the defendants will have to pay $35,000 in compensation to the victims at both Hickory Plantation and Willow Way, They must also pay a $20,000 civil penalty to the U.S. government and establish and follow non-discriminatory tenancy procedures as well as undergo fair housing training, and file reports with the government.

The investigation was part of Operation Home Sweet Home, and it was conducted by using fair housing testers, which are people who pose as renters for the purpose of obtaining any information regarding discrimination of any type in the renting of apartments.

Landlords need to come to the realization that it is their legal responsibility to make reasonable accommodations for anyone with a disability. Anyone who owns properties like this, where there are multiple apartments should be aware of the law, and if they know the law and violate it anyway, they should know that they are going to end up in court and pay a hefty penalty.

Guide dogs are allowed to go anywhere a person can go, including restaurants and grocery stores and on public transportation. And someone who has a guide dog has the right to live anywhere without discrimination.

Operation Home Sweet Home came about to help the displaced people from Hurricane Katrina, who faced discrimination in housing when their own homes were destroyed. It grew from there to cover any discrimination in housing anywhere in the country