Cuomo
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday that he has filed lawsuits against the owners and managers of residential housing complexes in Brooklyn and Glenville.
The lawsuits allege the owners and managers refused to rent or show apartments to black applicants. The owner and manager of the Schenectady County housing complex is also charged with refusing to rent to families with children.
Charges were filed against 1648-50 Ocean Parkway, which is owned by 1650 Realty Associates LLC and managed by Golden Touch Management, Inc., and Shady Lane Apartments in Glenville, owned by Socha Management, Inc. The lawsuits allege the defendants violated federal and state housing and civil rights laws.
Cuomo's lawsuits seek to prohibit the complexes from engaging in further discriminatory actions and to collect civil penalties and court costs.
"We all share the basic need for housing, and the law protects our equal access to it," Cuomo said. "Our investigation found that housing discrimination continues to this day and landlords who continue to ignore the law will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Cuomo also announced that he has reached an agreement with the Brooklyn landlord of 1750 Ocean Parkway, owned by 1750 Associates LLC and managed by Eilat Management Corp., over alleged discrimination against black applicants. The settlement requires the company to pay $40,000 in damages, have its agents attend anti-discrimination training and comply with all fair housing laws in the future.