United States of America v. Indian Oaks Apartments LTD, Russell Management Services LLC, H.J. Russell & Company, and The Russell Realty LP

Macon, Georgia, civil litigation lawyers represented the Defendants accused of violating the the Fair Housing Act by refusing to grant a mother’s requests for a ground-floor unit because her son had been diagnosed with a genetic disorder that causes permanent mobility impairment.

By Kent Morlan

On October 23, 2024, in the Department of Justices sueed the owners and property managers of an apartment complex in Fort Valley, Georgia, failed to grant a mother’s requests for a reasonable accommodation, despite her repeated requests over a 14-month period and the existence of multiple available ground-floor units. The complaint alleges that the defendants’ actions made it impossible for the mother to carry her son in and out of the apartment without help from her older children, leading to profound physical, psychological, and emotional losses for her son and lost academic and social opportunities for her older children. The settlement requires the defendants to pay $750,000 to the family, comply with certain policy and training provisions, and report to the department on reasonable accommodation requests at any properties they own or operate.

The lawsuit arose because of a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). After an investigation of the complaint, HUD issued a charge of discrimination and the tenant elected to have the case heard in federal court.

If you have experienced housing discrimination, submit a report online or call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743. You may also file a report with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by submitting a complaint online or calling 1-800-669-9777. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.

The investigation and resolution of this matter was led by members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Georgia, specifically Civil Rights Investigative Specialist Danyelle D. White, with support from Civil Chief W. Taylor McNeill, and led by former Civil Chief Bowen Shomaker and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Simon, and by attorneys from the Civil Rights Division.

Settled for $750,000.