Although an attorney is not required to file a complaint with HUD, you may want to consult with a well-qualified and knowledgeable Sarasota, Florida lawyer who specializes in housing discrimination. 61602 FindLaw.com Free, trusted legal information for consumers and legal professionals, SuperLawyers.com Directory of U.S. attorneys with the exclusive Super Lawyers rating, Abogado.com The #1 Spanish-language legal website for consumers, LawInfo.com Nationwide attorney directory and legal consumer resources. How Does Closing a Credit Card Impact Your Credit? Regardless of how subtle or overt the discrimination is, federal and state law is on your side. Skip to Main Content Find a Lawyer Find A Lawyer By Practice Area By Location Spanish Speaking Lawyers Canadian Lawyers is a request to your housing provider in order to change rules, policies, practices, or services so that a person with a disability will have an equal opportunity to use and enjoy their home or common space. The Office of Management Information Systems and The Public Information Office, manages this site as a portal for information from the Florida Commission on Human Relations. Free Consultation Civil Rights, Animal, Appeals and Criminal. Although the apartment building has parking on a first come, first served basis, the man is allowed to have a reserved space closest to his unit. Landlord Tenant Personal Injury Real Estate Law Broderick C. Dunn Maryland, Virginia Business Law Employment Law Landlord Tenant However, additional protections may be available based on the county you live in. The Florida Fair Housing Act does not provide new protected traits. NY Housing policies, practices, terms and conditions must allow people with disabilities equal access to apartments, houses, condos and other dwellings. You can choose to be represented by the Department of Justices appointed legal counsel or your own attorney. #nf-form-2-cont .nf-error-field-errors { Housing discrimination refers to a person being denied housing due to their membership to a protected class, and not for any legitimate business reasons. in full, contained in Florida Statutes 760.20-760.37. Miami, Tell me your story. Law, Intellectual What Is Rental Housing Discrimination? | Florida Property Management You can choose to be represented by the HUDs appointed legal council or your own attorney. As a father to a child with autism, I am no stranger to advocating for fair treatment. #nf-form-2-cont .nf-row:nth-child(odd) { 2017 - 2023 Saady & Saxe, P.A. And if youve been the victim of such treatment, you have the right to demand monetary damages. We represent individuals and families who have been wrongfully discriminated against in their search for temporary or permanent housing. in Business Administration from Pepperdine University. They can choose to exclude children under 18 altogether and only allow persons 55 and older to rent or buy. Login. Real estate transactions cover both residential and commercial properties, including houses, apartments, condominiums, mobile home parks, vacant land, other types of residential property, and commercial property. further disclosure in accordance with Chapter 16 and Florida's Public Record Act. .nf-form-content .nf-field-container #nf-field-8-wrap .nf-field-label label { Equal Services, Housing for People with Disabilities. The Florida Commission on Human Relations has the authority to conduct Fair Housing discrimination investigations within the state of Florida except for the following counties and cities: City of Orlando Office of Human Relations (City of Orlando), 400 South Orange AvenueOrlando, FL 32801Phone: 407-246-2122 Fax: 407-246-2308Website: http://www.cityoforlando.net/, 306 E. Jackson Street Tampa, FL 33602 Phone: 813-274-5835 Fax: 813-274-5854 Website: http://www.tampagov.net, Jacksonville Human Rights Commission (Duval County), 117 West Duval Street, Suite 350 Jacksonville, FL 32202 Phone: 904-630-4911 Fax: 904-630-4918 TTY: 904-630-4125 Website: http://www.coj.net/jhrc, Palm Beach County Office of Equal Opportunity (Palm Beach County), 301 North Olive Avenue, 10th Floor West Palm Beach, FL 33401 Phone: 561-355-4884 Fax: 561-355-4932 TTY: 561-355-1517 Website: http://www.pbcgov.com/equalopportunity, 400 S. Ft. Harrison Avenue, 5th Floor Clearwater, FL 33756 Phone: 727-464-4880 Fax: 727-464-5298 TTY: 727-464-4062 Website: http://www.pinellascounty.org/humanrights/, Broward County Office of Equal Opportunity (Broward County), 115 South Andrews Avenue, Room 427 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-1883 Phone : 954-357-7800 Fax: 954-357-7817http://www.broward.org/Intergovernmental/Pages/EmploymentHousingDiscrimination.aspx. A complex and extremely large Miami, Florida litigation between and among a Chicago-based assisted living facility owner, a Chicago-based architect, and approximately 20 Miami subcontractors touching on various issues, including architectural malpractice, diversion of trust funds, payment of bond claims and defenses, and multiple breach of contract issues, which was finally resolved short of trial after two weeks of mediation. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is suing ExxonMobil over racial discrimination after multiple nooses were found at one of the company's facilities. Create a journal of your housing discrimination experience. More From HUD To be qualified means the individual meets the essential eligibility requirements, including, for example, income requirements for tenancy, if the program is a housing program, provided those eligibility requirements are not discriminatory and can be met with or without reasonable accommodations or auxiliary aids or services necessary for effective communication. History of the Florida Commission on Human Relations. Discrimination Lawyers Serving Orlando, FL (Melbourne) 1 review Law Firm Profile } An email option will be added soon. You do not have to report the discrimination on your own. Providing financial assistance for buyers or renters of real estate; Participating in real estate organizations; Intimidating, coercing, or threatening others in regards to their purchase or rental; and. The mission of the Housing Access Project (a DBA of Potter Handy, LLP) is to ensure individuals with disabilities have equal access to housing opportunities. Don't wait to talk to a discrimination attorney and find out how federal law and state law can be used to hold those who discriminated against you accountable. It resulted in a discrimination lawsuit being filed in federal court. Biased treatment is unlawful during housing related activities, such as renting, buying, and lending. The Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968 in the aftermath of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination and as an extension of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ; it . At Florin Gray Bouzas Owens, our legal team is dedicated to the pursuit of justice for our clients. This will be issued if HUDs investigation did not find sufficient evidence to support a reasonable belief that discrimination occurred. The Commission was established by the Florida Legislature to investigate and resolve discrimination complaints in the areas of: If you would like more information on how we can help,click the button and fill out the form.A staff member will get back to you. https://www.justice.gov/crt/fair-housing-act-1, The Department of Housing and Urban Development has a simpler breakdown of the, https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/fair_housing_act_overview. File a discrimination complaint with HUD Predatory lending - don't be a victim of unfair lending practices Tenant rights, laws, and protections At Your Service If you believe you have been a victim of housing discrimination, you may file a complaint, or call us toll-free at 1 (800) 669-9777. How to Sue My Landlord for Housing Discrimination | Nolo Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. While the law prohibits something obvious like refusing to sell or rent a home on the basis of race, there are other, more subtle ways that discrimination can occur. 10279 The ADA is a comprehensive civil rights law for persons with disabilities. Through our aggressive enforcement of consumer protection and civil rights laws, we seek to make a significant difference in people's lives." No Upfront Attorney Fees or Costs Under penalty of perjury, I declare that I have read the entire contents of this questionnaire and that . Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Present This includes actions involving the sale or lease of temporary or permanent housing, such as refusing to rent an apartment. However, additional protections may be available based on the county you live in. Welcome to FindLaw's Cases & Codes, a free source of state and federal court opinions, state laws, and the United States Code. of when the last act of discrimination occurred. Housing discrimination Floridians are entitled by law to rent a place to live or buy a home without consideration of their national origin, race or color, sex, disability, religion or familial status. Color discrimination can involve someone of a different race or the same race. I proudly serve individuals in the surrounding areas of Orlando, Tampa, and West Palm Beach. You can also speak with a HUD intake specialist at 1-800-669-9777 or 1-800-877-8339, TTY: 1-800-877-8339. How do I know if being denied a home loan is due to discrimination? In general, the Fair Housing laws apply to: Additionally, the act also protects individuals enforcing their fair housing rights from harassment. Theresa Kitay, a fair housing defense attorney based in North Carolina, says three of her clients sued by FFHA paid between $2,000 and $6,500 to settle them. Housing Discrimination for People with Disabilities | Covey A landlord only wants English-speaking tenants. Florida landlords are allowed to deny housing on the basis of legitimate business reasons. Although an attorney is not required to file a complaint with HUD, you may want to consult with a well qualified and knowledgeable real estate attorney who specializes in housing discrimination. The Fair Housing Act requires multi-family housing built for first occupancy after March 13, 1991 to have certain accessibility features. She is applying to an apartment building with a no-pets policy. If youve experienced discrimination while renting, selling, occupying, or financing of housing in Florida, you canfile a complaintwith the help of attorney Jibrael S. Hindi. We are always looking for mystery shoppers who can volunteer to help keep discrimination out of our housing market. In certain circumstances, the Act exempts owner-occupied buildings with up to four units of single-family housing. Landlords are allowed to deny housing on the basis of legitimate business reasons. You have one year from the date of the alleged discrimination to file a complaint with either the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or a local agency like the Florida Commission on Human Relations. The Commission investigates housing discrimination inquiries under the Florida Fair Housing Act, Chapter 760. Hold on to any paperwork, e-mails, receipts, and text messages that show proof of the discriminatory actions. is when a housing provider creates a threatening or uncomfortable environment because of unwanted sexual behavior. Although the Fair Housing Act does not expressly protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, HUD has used sex discrimination to protect members of the LGBTQ+ community from such discrimination. We make every effort to have cases dismissed early and enjoy an enviable record of success in this regard. They will want to know the timeline of events, the relevant locations, anyone involved, the witnesses present or anyone else who might have information about your complaint, and any documentation that you have to support your case. Use the Housing Discrimination Questionnaire to assist you. Sexual orientation (including gender-related identity), Refusing to conduct a real estate transaction, Unfavorable terms, conditions, or privileges included in the transaction or contract, Refusing to accept or convey an offer in a real estate transaction (e.g. Florida Housing Discrimination Lawyers Lawrina / Lawyers / Housing Discrimination / Florida Jennifer Mantoni Florida, Maryland Arbitration & Mediation Construction Law Elder Law +4 Claim Profile Frederick A. Neustein Florida Appeals & Appellate Bankruptcy Business Law +4 Claim Profile Charles McClenaghan Esq Florida, Ohio Business Law This is true only if preference is only given on the basis of that membership, and membership in that religion is not restricted by race, color, or nationality; and, Rooms or units owned by a private organization for non-commercial use, as long as preference is only given on the basis of membership to that organization and is not restricted by race, color, or nationality. We Are Taking New Misclassified Rideshare Driver Clients. Disabilities may also include mental or emotional illness, difficulties associated with aging, HIV/AIDS, recovering alcoholism or drug addiction. 5 Consumer Protection Laws You Should Know About, Set different terms, conditions, or privileges for sale or rental of a dwelling, Provide different housing services or facilities, Falsely deny that housing is available for inspection, rent, or sale, Impose different conditions or terms on a loan, Threaten, coerce, or intimidate any individual exercising a fair housing right, Refuse reasonable changes to your dwelling to accommodate a disability.