Clausen Miller Secures Dismissal for Alabama Client in Housing Discrimination Complaint Before U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Clausen Miller attorneys Tom Moody and Zach Sonenblum secured a finding of no reasonable cause and dismissal on behalf of their client in an Alabama matter pending before the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Clausen’s client—a property management company—denied an applicant’s rental property application because said applicant’s credit report revealed a negative credit history and included incorrect representations regarding creditworthiness. The denied applicant (“Complainant”) filed a Housing Discrimination Complaint against Clausen’s client with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) in Alabama, alleging she was discriminated against based on her African American race.
In response to the complaint, Clausen’s client denied all allegations of discriminatory behavior and maintained that the Complainant’s application was denied because her credit report revealed a negative credit history and misrepresentations.
After thorough investigation, HUD found that the Complaint was baseless, did not find any evidence of discriminatory behavior, and concluded that the applicant’s lengthy poor credit history was a legitimate basis for denying the rental application. HUD determined that No Reasonable Cause existed to believe any violations occurred, and dismissed the Housing Discrimination Complaint against Clausen’s client.
Thomas J. Moody
Zachary D. Sonenblum