Martinez v. Lexington Gardens Assocs., Dennis Ovalle, L.A. Equities Corp.
Martinez v. Lexington Gardens Assocs., Dennis Ovalle, L.A. Equities Corp.
Opinion of the Court
ALVIN K. HELLERSTEIN, United States District Judge *274Plaintiff Blanca Martinez, by her next friend, Thelma Martinez ("Plaintiff"), filed this case on May 26, 2017. Plaintiff claims that Lexington Gardens et al. ("Lexington Gardens" or "Defendants") discriminated against Blanca on the basis of her disability by refusing to allow Thelma, her sister and primary caretaker, to live in Blanca's apartment. The complaint, which was amended on July 24, 2017, alleges violations of Fair Housing Act ("FHA"), see
Blanca Martinez has been living in the apartment in question under federal Section 8 subsidies for over thirty years. She is severely mentally handicapped and cannot live alone. After the death of their mother, Thelma Martinez became Blanca's primary caretaker and requested that Lexington Gardens allow her to move into the apartment to care for her sister full time. Defendants have refused to allow Thelma to do so, largely on the ground that she has poor credit history and a housing court record. Plaintiff seeks a reasonable accommodation under federal, state, and local disability law to allow Thelma to live with and care for her sister. Discovery is now complete. Now before the Court are the parties' cross motions for summary judgment. The facts of the case are not disputed; the sole issue is whether Lexington Gardens failed to provide a reasonable accommodation. For the reasons stated on the record and supplemented herein, plaintiff's motion for summary judgment is granted; defendant's motion for summary judgment is denied.
Background
Blanca Martinez is a 58-year-old woman. She is intellectually and developmentally disabled and has been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. She is unable to care for herself and requires around-the-clock assistance with everyday tasks including cooking, eating, using the restroom, and dressing herself. Plaintiff's diagnosis is supported by numerous medical evaluations, and there is no genuine dispute about her condition, the care she requires, and the practical reality she cannot live alone.
Plaintiff receives federal Section 8 housing benefits and has lived in the disputed apartment for over thirty years. Plaintiff's mother, Maria, was plaintiff's primary caretaker until her death in 2016. When their mother died, plaintiff's sister, Thelma, assumed the role of plaintiff's full-time caretaker. Although Blanca and Thelma apparently have other siblings, none is willing and able to care for plaintiff. Thelma applied for and was granted guardianship of plaintiff by the New York Surrogate's Court in 2017, and she manages virtually every aspect of plaintiff's life, including her finances and daily medical care. There is also no genuine dispute that defendants have been aware of plaintiff's disability for years. Blanca's condition was listed on the family's original housing application in 1984, and her status was noted on yearly Section 8 recertification paperwork filed by her mother. Plaintiff's disability *275was also specifically raised at least four times during Thelma and her mother's attempts to have Thelma added to the family composition.
Defendants began receiving requests to allow Thelma to move into the apartment as early as 2014, when Maria's heath began to fade and she became less able adequately to care for Blanca. At least five requests followed the first, including one from the New York City Human Resources Administration's Adult Protective Services. See Pl. Rule 56.1 Statement, ECF 56, at ¶ 57; see also Decl. of Christine Clarke, ECF 58, Ex. 16 (requesting that Thelma be allowed to move into the apartment "because it would be in the overwhelmingly best interest of her sister Blanca"). Defendants have denied every request. Although defendants' justification has shifted in this litigation, when pressed, defendants have principally cited Thelma's poor credit and rental history as the basis for the denial. Specifically, it appears that a prior landlord obtained a housing court judgment against Thelma in 2011, which was later converted into a civil judgment and subsequently vacated by the court.
Despite defendants' refusal to grant an exception, when Maria's illness became severe in early 2016, Thelma moved into the apartment to care for Blanca. Maria died in March 2016 and, facing no viable alternatives to care for Blanca, Thelma remained in the apartment. In the months following their mother's death, Thelma paid plaintiff's monthly rent on time and without incident until October 2016, when defendants commenced eviction proceedings in New York Housing Court and refused to accept further payments. With eviction proceedings ongoing, plaintiff filed this case under the FHA.
The parties also raise a handful of tangential issues that have arisen over the course of this litigation, none of which is material. First, defendants attempt to reframe the case by arguing that they have not received monthly rental payments from Blanca or Thelma since October 2016. But the record is clear that the only reason that rent has not been paid is because defendants commenced eviction proceedings and refused to accept further payments. The cited reason for the eviction-that Thelma was living in the apartment without authorization-collapses back into the central issue in the case: whether allowing Thelma to live with her sister is a reasonable accommodation under the statute.
Relatedly, defendants also claim that Thelma has failed in her responsibilities as Blanca's guardian because she has not filed Blanca's recertification paperwork with the Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD"), which must be refiled yearly to maintain Blanca's Section 8 housing benefits. This too is misleading.
*276Because she is disabled and unable to work, plaintiff receives federally funded Section 8 housing benefits. Section 8, also known as the Housing Choice Voucher program, is a federally funded program administered by HUD that provides low-income families with federal assistance to purchase rental housing on the private market. See 42 U.S.C. § 1437f ;
After her mother's death, Plaintiff, aided by her sister and their lawyer, supplied defendants with an interim family recertification packet that included Thelma, her wife Denei, and her stepson Ronnald Mendez to the family composition plan. See Decl. of Christine Clarke, ECF 58, Ex. 36. Defendants responded by letter, stating that "[t]he Landlord will not process these documents are [sic] presented" and instructing plaintiff to "resubmit the package with only Blanca Martinez in the family composition." Decl. of Christine Clarke, ECF 58, Ex. 42. This, of course, put plaintiff and her sister in an impossible position. Either Thelma would have to leave her sister without the care she requires, or commit fraud by submitting an inaccurate family recertification form to HUD, causing HUD to incorrectly calculate the value of plaintiff's federal subsidy. See
Discussion
A. Standard of Review
Under the well-established summary judgment standard, a "court shall *277grant summary judgment if the movant shows that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and that the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a) ; Celotex Corp. v. Catrett ,
Whether a requested accommodation is reasonable is "a fact-specific, case-by-case inquiry not only into the benefits of the accommodation but into its costs as well." Fulton v. Goord ,
B. Reasonable Accommodation Law
"To establish discrimination under either the [FHA] or the ADA, plaintiffs have three available theories: (1) intentional discrimination (disparate treatment); (2) disparate impact; and (3) failure to make a reasonable accommodation." Tsombanidis v. W. Haven Fire Dep't ,
By its text, the FHA makes it unlawful "[t]o discriminate in the sale or rental, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling to any ... renter because of a handicap."
Through the reasonable accommodation requirement, "the law 'imposes an affirmative duty upon landlords reasonably to accommodate the needs of handicapped persons.' " Picaro v. Pelham 1135 LLC , No. 14-CV-7398 JPO,
*278(quoting United States v. Cal. Mobile Home Park Mgmt. Co. ,
In addition to her FHA claim, plaintiff also raises claims under the federal Rehabilitation Act, see
Although FHA and NYCHRL claims were once analyzed concurrently, the NYCHRL was amended by the 2005 Restoration Act and is no longer considered "coextensive with its federal and state counterparts." Mihalik v. Credit Agricole Cheuvreux N. Am., Inc. ,
*279First, it created a one-way ratchet, by which interpretations of state and federal civil rights statutes can serve only as a floor below which the City's Human Rights law cannot fall. Second, it amended the NYCHRL to require that its provisions be construed liberally for the accomplishment of the uniquely broad and remedial purposes thereof, regardless of whether federal or New York State civil and human rights laws, including those laws with provisions comparably-worded to provisions of [the Restoration Act], have been so construed.
C. Plaintiff's Requested Accommodation is Reasonable
To establish a reasonable accommodation claim under the FHA, plaintiff must demonstrate each of the following: (1) that she is disabled within the meaning of the FHA, (2) that defendants knew or should have known this fact, (3) that the accommodation may be necessary to afford the plaintiff an equal opportunity to use and enjoy the dwelling, (4) that the requested accommodation is reasonable, and (5) that defendants refused to make the requested accommodation. Tuman ,
1. Disability, Notice, and Denial
As an initial matter, Defendants concede that plaintiff is disabled within the meaning of the FHA. Conceded or not, there is no genuine dispute on this point. The FHA defines "handicap" as "a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person's major life activities."
2. Necessity
Having conceded these elements, defendants instead focus on the necessity and reasonableness of the requested accommodation. As to necessity, the FHA provides that a landlord must "make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services, when such accommodations may be necessary to afford [a disabled] person with equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling."
The reasonableness and necessity of a requested accommodation requires a fact-intensive, case-by-case analysis, see Austin ,
3. Reasonableness
The next issue is whether the accommodation plaintiff seeks is reasonable. Based on the particular facts and circumstances of this case, I so hold.
As explained above, "[a] requested accommodation is reasonable where the cost is modest and it does not pose an undue hardship or substantial burden on the rule maker." Austin ,
To support their refusal to grant the requested accommodation, defendants largely rely on Thelma's poor credit and rental history. This reason is spurious and, indeed, for the reasons previously discussed, may be only an inaccurate pretext. First, defendants concede that, under Section 8, Lexington Gardens will receive the same rent regardless of whether Thelma moves into the unit. Salute ,
Defendants also argue that its renter screening policies, which consider credit scores and rental history, were adopted "pursuant to" HUD guidance on *281administering Section 8 properties. See Memorandum of Law, ECF 60, at 10. This too is misleading. Although HUD regulations and guidance allow landlords participating in Section 8 to screen applicants based on credit and rental history, that same guidance also instructs participating landlords that "[a]ll screening criteria" must be "consistently applied to all applicants in a non-discriminatory fashion and in accordance with all applicable fair housing and civil rights laws." See HUD Handbook Section 4350.3 § 4.7. More specifically, HUD's regulations and Occupancy Handbook instruct that participating owners must make reasonable accommodations "in rules, policies, practices, or services, when such accommodations may be necessary to afford a handicapped person equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling unit."
Boiled down, defendants' central argument is as follows: "Blanca's request to have Thelma reside in the apartment [stet], is unreasonable because it would require Lexington Gardens to violate its own policies adopted pursuant to federal regulations, namely, its policy of denying tenancy to individuals with history of rent delinquency and poor credit."See Memorandum of Law, ECF 60, at 10. The problem, of course, is that requiring a landlord to "violate its own policies" is precisely what a reasonable accommodation may be and what federal law requires. The plain text of § 3604(f)(3)(B) requires landlords "to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices , or services, when such accommodations may be necessary to afford such person equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling."
Defendants' other justifications fare not better. For instance, defendants claim that they learned through Thelma's deposition that she previously subleased an apartment without authorization. But such a sublease has no support in the record. Defendants claim also that Thelma moved into the apartment without authorization, thereby violating the terms of the lease. But Thelma did so only after their mother died, and only because her sister needed care. This merely reframes the central question in the case-whether plaintiff's requested accommodation is reasonable. Defendants also cite the fact that Thelma's wife and step-son moved into the apartment with her, but this too merely distracts from the central issue in the case. Defendants never raised any objection to Thelma's family moving in until after this litigation began, and the landlord previously allowed up to six people on the lease. See Def. Rule 56.1 Statement, ECF 61, at ¶ 17. In any event, Thelma's wife and step-son *282moved out of the apartment in February 2018 and have no plans to return. See Pl. Rule 56.1 Statement, ECF 56, at ¶ 13-14. None of these peripheral objections is compelling.
Defendants also rely heavily on Williams v. New York City Housing Authority ,
Although not perfectly analogous, courts have consistently held that landlords are typically required to make reasonable accommodations to otherwise neutral policies, such as allowing tenants to own a service animal, and waiving a first-come, first-serve policy on parking spots for tenants with limited mobility.
As stated on the record, this holding does not require that Thelma's name be added to the lease, with the succession rights attendant thereto, provided that Thelma be permitted to live in the apartment unimpeded and that Lexington Gardens cooperate fully in the yearly Section 8 recertification process. Thelma shall be permitted to live in the disputed apartment only during Blanca's life as a reasonable accommodation to Blanca's disability.
In sum, defendants are required by the FHA and its state and local counterparts to permit Thelma Martinez to live in the disputed apartment to care for her disabled sister. Without such an accommodation, Blanca will be deprived of an "equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling," to which she is entitled by federal law.
*283
Conclusion
For the reasons stated in this opinion, plaintiff's motion for summary judgment is granted; defendant's cross motion for summary judgment is denied. The clerk is instructed to terminate the motions (ECF 54, 59). As the prevailing party, plaintiff is also entitled to reasonable attorney's fees and costs under
SO ORDERED.
After her request to move into the apartment was initially denied, Thelma provided a full explanation of this incident to defendants. Thelma claims that the housing court judgment stemmed from her withholding rent due to the unsafe conditions of an apartment in which she lived. After appearing unrepresented in housing court, the landlord agreed to waive any past-due rent if Thelma moved out by a certain date. Despite this resolution, the landlord then obtained a default judgment against Thelma in civil court, which was subsequently vacated and the case was discontinued. Defendants have not disputed this account, but the particular circumstances of Thelma's prior housing issues do not materially affect the outcome of this case. Even assuming that Thelma has a somewhat poor rental and credit history, and would therefore not typically be considered a desirable tenant for Lexington Gardens, the question remains: Is Lexington Gardens required to make an exception as a reasonable accommodation to Blanca's disability? The law mandates that Lexington Gardens do so.
The parties refer to this portion of the recertification as the "family composition plan."
The parties-especially defendants-make passing reference to the burden shifting framework developed in the Title VII context. See McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green ,
The other statutes at issue in this case have similar definitions. The Rehabilitation Act defines disability by reference to the Americans with Disabilities Act,
This case is also distinguishable from the so-called "economic accommodation" cases, which hold that "an accommodation is not 'necessary' to afford a disabled person access to equal housing opportunity when the accommodation sought does not directly ameliorate an effect of the disability." Marks v. BLDG Mgmt. Co. , No. 99 CIV. 5733 (THK),
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Blanca MARTINEZ, BY her next friend, Thelma MARTINEZ v. LEXINGTON GARDENS ASSOCIATES, Dennis Ovalle, L.A. Equities Corp., Manhattan North Management Co., Inc., and Lex Gardens TP4, LLC
- Cited By
- 3 cases
- Status
- Published