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11/04/2009
November 4th, 2009 | Worcester rental co. settles discrimination lawsuit with feds
WORCESTER — A realty company doing business in the city has settled a lawsuit filed earlier this year in U.S. District Court that alleged the company discriminated against prospective renters because they have children.
The suit, filed on behalf of the plaintiffs in January by Legal Assistance Corp., alleged that the realty company, which operates under the name weRENTcentralmass.com and was formerly known as Guardian Select Realty and Guardian Select Real Estate, engaged in unlawful housing practices by discriminating against renters with children.
In resolving the case, the realty company did not admit any wrongdoing.
Edward Murphy, chief executive of the realty company, said that he hopes to work with LACCM to fight housing discrimination.
"Our organization has not, does not and will not discriminate," Mr. Murphy said yesterday in a telephone interview. "We have a reputation of opening our doors to any member of the community looking for housing, and we will continue to do so."
In addition to a financial settlement, the realty company agreed to continue to send its employees to fair housing training, prominently display fair housing posters in its offices, and modify its forms and practices so that both prospective landlords and tenants have a better understanding of housing discrimination laws.
"It was important to us that, in the future, families with children have an easier time finding apartments," said David Spencer, one of the plaintiffs, in a prepared statement.
The plaintiffs, who are all parents of minor children, claimed that the company "steered" them away from apartments, or refused to show certain apartments to them because those apartments might have contained lead paint. The Massachusetts lead paint laws require property owners to remove dangerous levels of lead paint when a child under age 6 resides in the unit or is going to reside in the unit. A refusal to rent or show a unit that may contain lead paint is a violation of federal and state fair housing laws, said LACCM.
Mr. Murphy said he does not know if any of the properties in question have undergone lead paint removal.
"We don't own any of the properties," Mr. Murphy said.
Patti Prunhuber, litigation director for LACCM, said the consent order, signed on Oct. 26 by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV, does not resolve the question of what the company may have done in the past, but makes a binding, enforceable court order of what it must do from here.
"We're pleased that he's working in cooperation with us so that fair housing is the reality in Worcester County," she said.
She suggested that landlords take advantage of funds available through the Worcester Lead Abatement Program to make housing units lead-free.
"All available apartments will be shown to a family," she said. "They won't steer anyone away if there is lead paint. They can advise a family if a unit has not been de-leaded, and the family can decide what to do from there."
Read more: http://www.telegram.com/article/20091104/NEWS/911040314#ixzz1BPakmTSe
WORCESTER — A realty company doing business in the city has settled a lawsuit filed earlier this year in U.S. District Court that alleged the company discriminated against prospective renters because they have children.
The suit, filed on behalf of the plaintiffs in January by Legal Assistance Corp., alleged that the realty company, which operates under the name weRENTcentralmass.com and was formerly known as Guardian Select Realty and Guardian Select Real Estate, engaged in unlawful housing practices by discriminating against renters with children.
In resolving the case, the realty company did not admit any wrongdoing.
Edward Murphy, chief executive of the realty company, said that he hopes to work with LACCM to fight housing discrimination.
"Our organization has not, does not and will not discriminate," Mr. Murphy said yesterday in a telephone interview. "We have a reputation of opening our doors to any member of the community looking for housing, and we will continue to do so."
In addition to a financial settlement, the realty company agreed to continue to send its employees to fair housing training, prominently display fair housing posters in its offices, and modify its forms and practices so that both prospective landlords and tenants have a better understanding of housing discrimination laws.
"It was important to us that, in the future, families with children have an easier time finding apartments," said David Spencer, one of the plaintiffs, in a prepared statement.
The plaintiffs, who are all parents of minor children, claimed that the company "steered" them away from apartments, or refused to show certain apartments to them because those apartments might have contained lead paint. The Massachusetts lead paint laws require property owners to remove dangerous levels of lead paint when a child under age 6 resides in the unit or is going to reside in the unit. A refusal to rent or show a unit that may contain lead paint is a violation of federal and state fair housing laws, said LACCM.
Mr. Murphy said he does not know if any of the properties in question have undergone lead paint removal.
"We don't own any of the properties," Mr. Murphy said.
Patti Prunhuber, litigation director for LACCM, said the consent order, signed on Oct. 26 by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV, does not resolve the question of what the company may have done in the past, but makes a binding, enforceable court order of what it must do from here.
"We're pleased that he's working in cooperation with us so that fair housing is the reality in Worcester County," she said.
She suggested that landlords take advantage of funds available through the Worcester Lead Abatement Program to make housing units lead-free.
"All available apartments will be shown to a family," she said. "They won't steer anyone away if there is lead paint. They can advise a family if a unit has not been de-leaded, and the family can decide what to do from there."
Read more: http://www.telegram.com/article/20091104/NEWS/911040314#ixzz1BPakmTSe
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