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Over the past five years, Bricklemyer Smolker & Bolves, P.A. (“BSB”) has been engaged in a protracted lawsuit against the City of Treasure Island for discrimination claims arising out of the Federal Fair Housing Act (the “FHA”). On November 2, 2010, the City of Treasure Island, Florida agreed to settle the long standing lawsuit for $3.725 million. The City Commission passed a resolution ratifying the settlement because it was in the best interest of the City to resolve the matter. The settlement came on the heels of a February 2010 federal jury verdict, which concluded that the City unlawfully discriminated against BSB’s client for failing to provide housing to disabled people in a residentially zoned district. The settlement has been heralded by many industry publications, like the Fair Housing and Lending News, as a “rare, multimillion dollar settlement” under the FHA. The story has made national headlines, including an article published by MSNBC.com.
Ethan Loeb, David Smoker, and Jon Tasso, all shareholders of the Firm, comprised the trial team for BSB who prosecuted the claim against the City. When asked about the money recovered on behalf of BSB’s client, Loeb was quoted as saying that this settlement vindicates the rights that Congress bestowed on people who have life-altering problems. It definitely sends a message to all housing providers that discriminate against the disabled, and “it should force everyone to think about what they do when dealing with a disabled person, man or woman, young or old.”
Loeb focuses his practice on complex litigation matters throughout the southeast United States. Smolker practices in the area of eminent domain, constitutional rights, and inverse condemnation. Tasso works on a variety of complex litigation matters, including energy law, intellectual property, and commercial disputes.
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