The Sun Sentinel is reporting that Boca Teeca Condominium Association located in Boca Raton, Florida is being sued by the Fair Housing Center of Greater Palm Beach.
The federal lawsuit alleges that Boca Teeca refuses to allow parents with children under the age of 15 to live within their community.
The lawsuit stems from an incident in which a single father with three young children was turned away in December 2008 despite having financing in line to buy a $120,000 condo unit.
The father of three and his real estate agent reported the incident to the Palm Beach County Office of Equal Opportunity who later launched its own investigation.A female employee was later sent to Boca Teeca to inquire about renting a condo unit with two young children. She was also turned away by the association as her kids were under the age of 15.
“In the previous two years, discrimination cases against families ranked third, behind disability and race cases. Of the 96 cases investigated in 2008-09, 45 percent were for people with disabilities, 25 percent were for families with children, and 14 percent were for race and color,” according to Pamela Guerrier, manager of the Office of Equal Opportunity.
Randall Berg, attorney for the Fair Housing Center, says a condo association can legally stop families with young children from moving into its community when (and only when) they are considered “housing for older persons” as set forth under federal and state housing laws.
To qualify as “housing for older persons,” the community must show that at least 80 percent of their residents are 55 or older.
Boca Teeca was advised it is breaking the law by denying young children, and asked to reverse its decision. The association ignored the request and earlier this week, a federal lawsuit was filed against Boca Teeca and its President Ronald Erhardt detailing the Office of Equal Opportunity’s investigation and email negotiations.
Source: Sun Sentinel
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