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SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake apartment complex owner has agreed to pay a former tenant and her 7-year-old son with autism $20,000 to settle a housing discrimination lawsuit, according to the Department of Justice.
NALS Apartment Homes denied the family permission to keep the boy's assistance animal after his doctor refused to assume liability for any possible damage caused by the animal. In addition, the owners will pay $25,000 to set up a settlement fund to compensate anyone else who might have been harmed.
The apartment owners required tenants with disabilities to have a health care provider fill out a "prescription form" suggesting that he or she might be responsible for property damage or physical injury the assistance animal might cause. They did not require tenants without disabilities who had pets to have a third party assume liability for their animals.
“This office will not tolerate business practices that deprive those with disabilities their rights to housing accommodations required under the law,” said Utah U.S. Attorney John W. Huber.
NALS Apartment Homes owns Pinnacle Highland Apartments, Cobble Creek Apartments and Sky Harbor Apartments and formerly owned Thornhill Park Apartments.
