The owner of an Irvington apartment complex will pay $92,000 in compensation and penalties to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit charging the landlord discriminated against African Americans when renting units.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara announced the settlement Thursday with 61 Main Street Corp. and its president Rosario Macri. The consent decree requires the defendants to refrain from discriminating on the basis of race in their rental practices and to implement a non-discrimination policy and non-discriminatory standards and procedures at the apartment complex at 123 S. Broadway in Irvington. The company and Macri also will pay $60,000 into a fund to compensate their discrimination victims and a $32,000 civil penalty to the U.S.
The settlement was approved Thursday by U.S. Southern District of New York Judge Kenneth M. Karas.
Federal officials alleged that Macri, who manages the apartment complex, and his company violated the Fair Housing Act in several encounters with prospective tenants since at least August 2012. The landlord allegedly failed to inform African Americans looking to rent at the Irvington complex about available apartments, while even on the same day telling prospective Caucasian tenants that apartments were available. Macri also excluded African Americans when showing apartments and giving out rental applications, according to the federal complaint. Prospective African-American tenants allegedly were quoted higher rent prices and less favorable security deposit terms than those offered to white apartment hunters.
Bharara in a press release said the case “should be a wake-up call to any landlord or building owner who discriminates. Racial discrimination in housing is not only antithetical to the principles of fairness and equality, it is against the law.”
