Lawsuit filed over fees for disability animals
The Ohio Civil Rights Commission has filed a civil lawsuit against a Licking County property manager after they say he charged his tenant a monthly pet fee for the two animals prescribed to help with her disability.
In a complaint filed in Licking County Common Pleas Court last week, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission said the complaintant, Patricia Terry, filed a charge with their organization against the defendant, identified as Stanley Ford, of Newark, in April 2020 alleging unlawful discriminatory practices based on disability.
After a preliminary investigation, the Ohio Civil Rights Commission said they found in August 2020 "it was probable that the unlawful practices had been or were being engaged in by Defendant," which led to the lawsuit filing.
According to the complaint, Terry began renting a unit in Heath on Sept. 15, 2016 and the advertised rent for the unit was $425. The complaint said Terry was prescribed two animal assistants by her doctor to help her "ameliorate the conditions of her disability."
The complaint said Ford charged Terry $475 per month, which included a monthly pet fee of $50 for her two medical assistants. After Terry questioned Ford about him charging her the pet fees and again provided him documentation from her medical provider, the complaint said Ford agreed to credit her $200 toward her rent but "informed her that he did not view two dogs as a medical need" and allegedly continued to charge her a $25 fee for one of her medical assistants until April 2020.
In the complaint, it said Terry emailed Ford on March 25, 2020 informing him she would be contacting local and federal fair housing agencies regarding her fair housing rights. Two days later, Ford allegedly replied he would be issuing her a 30-day notice to vacate the unit.
The Ohio Civil Rights Commission said a complaint was filed with their agency on April 8, 2020 and two days later, Ford gave Terry a bill of $120 for repairs to her heater and told her he would be terminating her lease once the COVID-19 emergency passed.