Filed Date: July 16, 2010
Closed Date: 2014
Clearinghouse coding complete
On July 16, 2010, the United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, under the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601-3631, against the owners, operators and managers of a 268-unit apartment complex located in Renton Washington. The U.S. claimed that Defendants engaged in a pattern and practice of intentional discrimination against African Americans, Hispanics, people from India, and families with children by instructing staff not to show newly renovated apartments to them, steering them to less desirable buildings, demanding proof of citizenship, asking them not to speak to one another in their first language, requiring stricter application requirements, and refusing services. These behaviors were confirmed by testing conducted by the Fair Housing Council of Washington.
The case proceeded towards trial, but then settled on March 7, 2011, when the Court (Judge James Robart) approved a jointly submitted Consent Decree. Besides general non-discrimination provisions, the Decree prohibited the defendant owner from employing its manager in any position in connection with housing rentals. It also required adoption, implementation, and notification to tenants of a Uniform Nondiscriminatory Procedure, and employee training on Fair Housing Act requirements. In included provisions on recordkeeping, monitoring, and reporting, to facilitate compliance. Finally, the defendants agreed to pay $85,000 for the establishment of a settlement fund for victims of the Defendants' discrimination and a $25,000 civil penalty to be paid to the United States.
The consent decree terminated in 2014, and the case is now closed.
Summary Authors
Clearinghouse (10/12/2012)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4410661/parties/united-states-v-summerhill-place-llc/
Abernathy, Terri J (Washington)
Allen, Julie (District of Columbia)
Altman, Stephen D (Washington)
Armijo, Rumaldo R (Washington)
AUSA, Jesse M (Washington)
Robart, James L. (Washington)
Abernathy, Terri J (Washington)
Allen, Julie (District of Columbia)
Altman, Stephen D (Washington)
Armijo, Rumaldo R (Washington)
Burrell, Meredith (Washington)
Clayton, Lindsay Laurie (Washington)
Eichenholtz, Seth D. (Washington)
Goldberg, Arthur R (Washington)
Gugin, Patricia D (Washington)
Harrington, Quinn Patrick (Washington)
Hendry, Melanie Dyani (Washington)
Horwitz, Matthew Joseph (Washington)
Houten, Kathryn E (Washington)
Hurtado, Samuel A. (Washington)
Johnson, Kristin Berger (Washington)
Kaminski, Gerald Francis (Washington)
Keegan, Ruth Fuess (Washington)
Kennebrew, Delora (Washington)
Kinner, Russell B (Washington)
Lawrence, Kathleen O'Malley (Washington)
Levingston, Luttrell (Washington)
McEvoy, Lauren Mary (Washington)
Moran, Timothy (District of Columbia)
Murphy, Michael D (Washington)
Nathanson, John Alexander (Washington)
O'Brien, Thomas Peter (Washington)
Office, United States (Washington)
Perez, Alfred Juarez (Washington)
Rosenbaum, Steven H. (District of Columbia)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4410661/united-states-v-summerhill-place-llc/
Last updated Feb. 14, 2024, 3:01 a.m.
State / Territory: Washington
Case Type(s):
Fair Housing/Lending/Insurance
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: July 16, 2010
Closing Date: 2014
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division
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
Summerhill Place, LLC (Renton), Private Entity/Person
GRAN, Inc. (Seattle), 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: 110,000
Order Duration: 2011 - 2014
Content of Injunction:
Develop anti-discrimination policy
Provide antidiscrimination training
Implement complaint/dispute resolution process
Issues
General:
Discrimination-area:
Discrimination-basis:
National origin discrimination
Race:
National Origin/Ethnicity: