Housing and Civil Enforcement Cases
United States v. Pereos (D. Nev.)
On December 19, 2022, the court entered a consent order in United States v. Pereos (D. Nev.). The complaint, which was filed on January 14, 2021, alleged that the owners and operators of rental properties in Reno, Nevada violated the Fair Housing Act on the basis of disability by refusing to allow one set of complainants to live at a subject property with a service animal, and by refusing to grant a reasonable accommodation request by another set of complainants at another subject property to be allowed to reside at the property with an assistance animal. Defendants named in the complaint include C. Nicholas Pereos, Nina Properties II, Inc., Pereos 1980 Trust, Willis E. Powell, Nichole Truax, Iris Norton, Brownstone Apartments, LLC, and Teri Morrison. The consent order requires the defendants to implement a reasonable accommodation policy, obtain fair housing training, and pay $27,500 in damages to the complainants. This case was referred to the Division based on two separate HUD charges after the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received two separate complaints, conducted investigations, and issued two charges of discrimination.
United States v. Meyer (E.D. Mo.)
On December 28, 2021, the court entered a consent order in United States v. Meyer (E.D. Mo.), a Fair Housing Act election case. The complaint, filed on January 7, 2021, alleged that Defendants discriminated on the basis of disability in violation of the Fair Housing Act when they denied the complainants’ reasonable accommodation request for permission to keep an assistance animal and ordered a mother and her son, both of whom have disabilities, to vacate their apartment because they had an emotional support animal. Defendants – the property manager and management company that formerly managed the subject property, and the Trust that formerly owned the subject property, along with its Trustee -- are Thomas M. Meyer, Thos L. Meyer Realty Co., the William T. Joiner Revocable Trust; and Richard G. Steele, Trustee. The consent order requires the defendants to pay complainants $18,000 in monetary damages. This case was referred to the Division after the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received a complaint, conducted an investigation, and issued a charge of discrimination.