Filed Date: May 20, 2008
Closed Date: 2015
Clearinghouse coding complete
On May 20, 2008, the United States filed a lawsuit under the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. §§3601-3619, against the managers and operators of a residential community in Haughton, Louisiana, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana. The plaintiff filed the suit on behalf of a Caucasian couple who owned a town house located in the community and the couple who attempted to purchase the house from them. The plaintiff alleges the defendants prevented the sale of the complainants' home to the couple on the basis of race. The prospectives buyers were in fact white, but their real estate agent was black. The defendants believed that the agent's clients were also black and refused to permit the sale based on that belief.
Specifically, defendant applied different criteria (background check), made discriminatory statements and threatened to refuse to provide services, and ultimately forced the buyers to back out of the sale. The Plaintiff sought declaratory, injunctive and monetary relief as well as civil penalties.
After a September 2, 2009 bench trial, on September 28, 2010, the Court (Judge Stagg), entered a Memorandum Ruling and a Judgment, finding that defendant's actions were "a disingenuous scheme or device to exclude blacks ... and [are] additional evidence of a ... pattern or practice of racial discrimination." The court awarded the complainants $21,723.65 in damages, ordered the defendants to pay a $25,000 civil penalty to the United States, and enjoined the defendants from discriminating in their housing practices with respect to the sale or rental of dwellings on the basis of race. Judge Stagg ordered that the judgment to remain in effect for 5 years.
In 2015, the order terminated and the case is now closed.
Summary Authors
Denise Heberle (8/3/2012)
Clearinghouse (12/1/2018)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5110008/parties/u-s-a-v-collier/
Becker, Grace Chung (District of Columbia)
Broadwell, John A. (Louisiana)
Gaeta, Joseph R. (District of Columbia)
Arceneaux, M. Thomas (Louisiana)
Edwards, Jerry (Louisiana)
Hornsby, Mark L. (Louisiana)
Stagg, Thomas E. Jr. (Louisiana)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5110008/u-s-a-v-collier/
Last updated March 23, 2024, 3:09 a.m.
State / Territory: Louisiana
Case Type(s):
Fair Housing/Lending/Insurance
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: May 20, 2008
Closing Date: 2015
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
United States Department of Justice
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
Reggie Collier (Haughton), Private Entity/Person
Kim Collier (Haughton), 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:
Amount Defendant Pays: 46,723.65
Order Duration: 2010 - 2015
Content of Injunction:
Issues
General:
Access to public accommodations - privately owned
Discrimination-area:
Discrimination-basis:
Race: