U.S. Department
of Justice
United States v. Noble (N.D. Ohio)
On June 23, 2016, the court entered a consent decree in United States v. Noble Homes (N.D. Ohio), a Fair Housing Act pattern or practice/election case filed on December 2, 2013, and amended on May 14, 2014, alleging that the defendants failed to design and construct two neighboring condominium complexes with the required accessibility features. The defendants, a developer and an architect in Ohio and their related businesses, were responsible for designing and constructing 13 condominium buildings across two related condominium complexes that contained significant accessibility violations. Pursuant to the decree, defendants, who are no longer in the business of building multifamily housing, will pay $100,000 into a fund available for retrofits and a $40,000 civil penalty. They will further pay $10,000, respectively, to two fair housing organizations that expended time and resources in connection with this matter, and be subject to standard injunctive relief. The case was referred to the Division after the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received a complaint, conducted an investigation and issued a charge of discrimination. Previously, on November 13, 2014, the court entered a partial consent decree resolving claims against two of the defendants, John Hershberger and Hersh Construction, Inc., who were responsible for the construction of one of the buildings in the condominium complexes that had less severe accessibility violations.
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