Friday, April 25, 2008

Alleged Conduct By Property Managers Leads To HUD Housing Discrimination Complaint

In Lafayette, Louisiana, The Daily Advertiser reports:
  • Nearly four years ago, when Shreveport real estate agent Angela Tatum took a couple to see a home for sale in Haughton's Camp Joy Marina, she did not find it unusual to see Confederate flags hanging from some of the houses. "It happens in the rural South," said Tatum, who is black. But when she received a phone call from the property manager a week later, she was shocked. Reggie Collier, who managed and owned the lakeside development with his wife, Kim, apparently saw Tatum showing her white clients the townhouse for sale on Sept. 20, 2004, and mistook her for a prospective buyer. Tatum said Reggie Collier called and told her he "did not want those kind of people" moving into the development. "I told him I was going to hang up," Tatum said. "I could not believe in that in this day and age this type of thing was going on."

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  • The white couple who viewed the house withdrew their offer because they thought they might have a problem inviting black friends to their new home. That's when the owners of the house for sale, Sherrell and Ronald Tucker, made the discrimination complaint to HUD. They said trouble selling the house forced a foreclosure and accused the Colliers of causing them emotional pain and embarrassment.

According to the story, if the Colliers are found guilty of discriminatory housing practices they could face civil fines, be forced to reimburse the owners of the townhouse for any losses, be forced to compensate Angela Tatum for a lost real estate commission and be required to take "fair housing training."

For the story, see HUD charges North La. couple with discrimination.

For all of the specific allegations of threats and intimidation in this case, see:

Go here for more on filing Housing Discrimination Complaints with HUD.

posted by Home Equity Theft Reporter at 12:17 AM