Acme Investments Inc. and Laurie Courtney, Housing Discrimination, Michigan 2023

Housing Discrimination in Ann Arbor Apartment Complex

The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Acme Investments Inc., d/b/a Ivanhoe House Apartments, and Laurie Courtney, the apartment complex’s property manager, alleging that they discriminated against African American prospective renters.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Detroit on an unspecified date, alleges that the defendants engaged in a pattern or practice of discriminating against African American prospective renters at Ivanhoe House Apartments in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The allegations in the lawsuit are based on evidence generated by a series of fair housing tests conducted at Ivanhoe House Apartments by the Fair Housing Center of Southeastern Michigan, a private non-profit organization located in Ann Arbor.

The Fair Housing Center of Southeastern Michigan filed a lawsuit against the defendants on July 16, 2009, based on the results of the fair housing tests. That lawsuit is currently pending in federal court before the Honorable Sean F. Cox.

The United States’ complaint seeks a court order prohibiting future discrimination by the defendants, monetary damages for those harmed by the defendants’ actions, and a civil penalty.

Individuals who may have information related to this lawsuit should contact the Justice Department toll-free at 1-800-896-7743, mail box number 91, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan at 313-226-9727, or email the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov.

Fighting illegal housing discrimination is a top priority of the Justice Department. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status.

Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of housing discrimination can call the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, e-mail the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov, or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777.

The complaint is an allegation of unlawful conduct. The allegations must be proven in federal court.

The defendant, Acme Investments Inc. and Laurie Courtney, has been charged with violating the federal Fair Housing Act by discriminating against African American prospective renters at Ivanhoe House Apartments in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Acme Investments Inc. is a 48-unit apartment complex located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The United States seeks a court order prohibiting future discrimination by the defendants, monetary damages for those harmed by the defendants’ actions, and a civil penalty.

The case is currently pending in federal court in Detroit.

Individuals who may have information related to this lawsuit should contact the Justice Department toll-free at 1-800-896-7743, mail box number 91, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan at 313-226-9727, or email the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov.

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