BATON ROUGE — Three disabled customers are suing a New Orleans property management company, alleging disability discrimination.
Troy Lynn Brown, Byron L. Ragland and Steven J. Mercadel filed a lawsuit Aug. 2 in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana against Latter & Blum Property Management Inc., alleging failure to uphold Americans with Disabilities Act regulations and violation of the Fair Housing Act.
According to the complaint, in 2014, Brown, Ragland and Mercadel tried to rent apartments from Latter & Blum but all were denied. The suit says each plaintiff has been unable to find decent housing through the Permanent Supportive Housing program and have been denied equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling.
The plaintiffs allege Latter & Blum failed to clearly and accurately disclose to them the reason for its denial to rent an apartment, failed to accommodate the plaintiffs' disabilities and refused to rent apartments to the three because they have criminal histories.
The plaintiffs seek a trial by jury, compensatory damages, statutory damages, reasonable attorney fees and legal costs, plus all the court deems just and equitable. They are represented by attorney David H. Williams of New Orleans.
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana Case number 3:16-cv-00513