Upstate NY Landlord Belted w/ $16K In Damages, Fines For Refusing To Rent To Prospective Tenant After Finding Out Tenant Had A Disability

In Syracuse, New York, WAER Radio 88.3 reports:

• Some Central New Yorkers with disabilities have been getting discriminated against when they look for a place to live. Recently, a two year-old case was finalized when a judge sided with CNY Fair Housing.(1)  A judge agreed that a caseworker was illegally asked by a rental property owner if her client had a disability.
  
  Once the property owner found out the client was disabled, Executive Director Sally Santangelo says the case-worker was told the housing was no longer available. "The housing provider then indicated they would not provide housing for her client, including a statement saying, 'we don't need to rent to crazy people'."
  
  [The landlords] were handed a $16,000 judgment in damages and fines.

For the story, see Judgment in Housing Discrimination Case Raises Awareness of Ongoing Barriers.

See also, NY orders Bville couple to pay damages for refusing to rent to people with disabilities.

For the court order, see NYS Division of Human Rights v Weichert.

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(1) Based in Syracuse, New York, CNY Fair Housing is a private, non-profit organization that, among other things, investigates complaints of suspected cases of housing discrimination and provides free legal representation to victims of illegal housing discrimination in Central and Northern New York. CNY Fair Housing's service area includes Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, Oswego, Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties.