NEW ORLEANS – A disabled Orleans Parish citizen who sought to rent a property is filing a suit against the owners of a rental office, alleging they failed to meet accessibility regulations.
Francis Falls filed a lawsuit Jan. 29 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Latter & Blum Property Management Inc. and Maple Partners LLC over claims that the defendants violated the American with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act.
Falls alleges that he sought to rent property owned or made available by defendants but has been adversely affected by the acts and policies of defendants. The complaint states that the property in question is located at 7840 Maple St., New Orleans, and is a real estate rental office.
According to the complaint, on or about Jan 19, Falls visited the property seeking information about renting. During the visit, Falls claims to have experienced serious difficulty accessing the goods and utilizing the services therein due to there being no ramp or handicapped-accessible entrance. Falls asserts that the defendants' failure to install a ramp or provide alternative means of entrance violated his rights as a disabled citizen.
He is suing for the court to enter an order directing the defendants to make the property accessible to and useable by individuals with mobility disabilities; order the defendants to change their policies to reflect the ADA and the FHA regulations; damages; court fees and attorney costs; and any other relief deemed just by the court. He is represented by Andrew D. Bizer, Garret S. DeReus and Amanda K. Klevorn from the offices of The Bizer Law Firm in New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:16-cv-00819-NJB-DEK