The Department of Justice of the United States (DOJ) obtained a legal victory this week, when it reached an agreement so that a tenant accused of soliciting sexual favors from his low-income tenants, give them a compensation of 4.5 million dollars. This is the largest monetary agreement achieved in the country in a landlord abuse case.
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In a statement shared on its website, the Justice Department says 73-year-old Joseph Centanni, owner of hundreds of rental units in and around Elizabeth, abused his poor tenants, both women as well as men who were gay or bisexual.
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Centanni’s assaults, that information indicates, spanned a period of at least 15 years, a period in which he demanded sexual favors, such as oral sex, so that his low-income tenants could get or keep the rent on their home; it also reduced their rent, change to touch them and made intimate comments and sexual advances to them.
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The United States Department of Justice’s lawsuit also claims that Centanni took those who wanted to rent one of their homes to their vacant apartments, or to the empty laundries or warehouses of those complexes. There, he asked them for massages, demanded oral sex or forced them to touch him sexually. If people submitted to their demands, Centanni allowed them to move or keep their homes. If people did not obey him, he refused to rent to them or evicted them, although that is against the law.
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Under the terms of the proposed consent decree, Centanni will pay 4,392,950 dollars andn monetary damages to those tenants and potential tenants who were harmed by your harassment. He also had to sell all of his rental properties and is permanently prohibited from owning and managing residential properties of that type in the future.
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Homeowner is also charged with more than 30 sex crimes
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Centanni is also charged in a New Jersey court with 13 counts of second degree sexual assault, 1 count of attempted second degree sexual assault and 21 counts of fourth degree criminal sexual contact.
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Individuals who believe they have been sexually harassed by Centanni should contact the toll-free number information on housing discrimination, at Tel. (833) 591-0291, and select option number one to leave a message. Individuals can also contact the US Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Hotline at (855) 281-3339. Individuals can also email the Department of Justice at: [email protected] or submit a report online.
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Learn about the tool that will help New York tenants avoid landlord harassment
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Which means this owner must pay 4.5 million to his victims
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“This lawsuit and landmark settlement send a clear message that the Department will not sit idly by as landlords abuse their power to take advantage of vulnerable tenants,” said Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for the Department’s Civil Rights Division. of Justice. “Sexual harassment of tenants is hateful and illegal and it has devastating consequences for the victims. The Department of Justice is more committed than ever to aggressively prosecuting homeowners and providers who engage in this threatening and violating conduct. “
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For her part, Acting United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Rachael A. Honig, commented: “The need for housing is a basic human need. Joseph Centanni exploited that need, and the major federal programs that attempt to satisfy it, by threatening to deny his victims a roof over their heads if they do not submit to his demands for sexual acts. This one to the historical sane demonstrates our unwavering commitment to combat sexual harassment in housing and to ensure that no one is discriminated against because of their sex, including because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. “
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