BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced a $23,000 assurance of discontinuance on Wednesday with a Boston-area landlord to resolve allegations of discrimination and violations of lead paint laws.
Dimitrios Deligiannides, Hariclia Deligiannides and Hariton Deligiannides allegedly refused to renew the leases of two tenants after finding out they were pregnant to avoid their obligations under lead paint laws. Dimitrios Deligiannides allegedly told one of his tenants that there might be lead paint in the unit only after she told him she was pregnant. He then allegedly urged her to move out of the apartment and failed to quickly abate the lead hazards once her and another tenant gave birth and continued to reside in the units.
Dimitrios Deligiannides also allegedly failed to disclose known lead hazards to all tenants in the apartment building.
"There are important protections in place to ensure that families have access to safe living environments," Coakley said. "Landlords cannot avoid their obligations to abate lead paint hazards by evicting tenants with children."
Under the terms of the agreement, the Deligiannideses must provide $23,000 in relief to the two tenants, delead the apartment unit and provide inspection reports. An additional $2,500 penalty to the state is suspended pending compliance with the settlement.
It is illegal to discriminate against tenants because of their familial status in the state of Massachusetts.
Massachusetts AG reaches $23,000 agreement with landlord
