Attorney General Wins Fair Housing Act Case Against Putman County Landlord and Rental Agent

December 6, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — A Putnam County Superior Court judge has ruled that Roy Embry and Rhonda Tuttle, both of Eatonton, Georgia, violated Georgia’s Fair Housing Act (GFHA) by refusing to rent to an interracial couple.

“Not only is racial discrimination immoral, it is against the law,” said Attorney General Sam Olens. “My office is fully committed to enforcing Georgia’s Fair Housing Act to protect Georgia citizens from discriminatory housing practices.”

Director and Administrator of the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity (GCEO) Melvin Everson said, “I am pleased to have worked with the Attorney General’s Office to resolve the complaint filed by Deanna Joseph. The State of Georgia will not tolerate discrimination, and the GCEO stands ready to work collaboratively with the Attorney General’s Office under the law to root out housing discrimination in Georgia.”

In August of 2009, the couple, Michael and Deanna Joseph, attempted to rent a house located in Eatonton, Georgia, and owned by Roy Embry. Initially, Embry’s rental agent, Rhonda Tuttle, met only with Mrs. Joseph and agreed to rent the property to her and her husband. However, once it was discovered that Mr. Joseph is black, Tuttle informed Mrs. Joseph that Embry would not rent to an interracial couple and refused to rent the house to the Josephs.

Mrs. Joseph filed a complaint with the GCEO, alleging that Embry and Tuttle violated a provision of GFHA that made it unlawful to refuse to rent a dwelling to a person because of race. After the GCEO found reasonable cause to believe that a discriminatory housing practice had occurred, the Attorney General’s Office filed a civil action against Embry and Tuttle to enforce the provisions of the GFHA.

A bench trial was held in Putnam County Superior Court on November 17, 2011, and on November 23, 2011, Judge Hugh V. Wingfield, III, found that Tuttle had violated the GFHA and that Embry was vicariously liable for her actions. Judge Wingfield awarded Mrs. Joseph $5,000.00 in damages and imposed a $3,000.00 civil penalty to be paid to the State of Georgia.

Assistant Attorney General Jeff Stump tried the case on behalf of the State of Georgia.

Contact:
www.law.ga.gov
(404)656-3300

 

 

No related posts.

Recent Posts

• • Access to thousands of Georgia real estate listings made possible by IDX, Inc. on Sharron Leonard
  • HUD AND OBAMA ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS HOST GEORGIA WHITE HOUSE FORUM ON HOUSING
  • Building Underway Across Street from New Piedmont Newnan Hospital
  • Westwood Financial Corp. Purchases $8.9 Million Retail Center in Southeast
  • RE/MAX Greater Atlanta Named a Top 25 Atlanta Real Estate Company

Popular Posts

• • Updated FEMA Bulletin Accepts the Use of Non-Paper Faced Gypsum Board in Special Flood Hazard Areas
  • Actions Taken by the Georgia State Board of Architects during its November 30 Meeting
  • Top 10 Seller Short Sale Questions Answered
  • Georgia Receives $887K For Homeowner Foreclosure Counseling Services
  • BidClerk.com Reports Construction Projects up for Bid in the Atlanta, GA Area
  • 2008 Homeownership Summit
  • Chambliss Applauds Passage of Legislation to Stabilize Housing Market
  • Chambliss Statement on Passage of Legislation to Stabilize Housing Market
  • Linger Longer Communities and the Jekyll Island State Park Authority Seek Public Input on Revitalization Plans
  • For Homeowners Looking to Avoid Foreclosure, Here Are Four Common Solutions