An Ohio landlord has been fined just shy of $200,000 after being accused of sexually harassing a number of female tenants at his properties.
Joseph Pedaline was alleged to have subjected multiple female tenants to unwelcome sexual comments, entered their homes without consent, and touched them without consent.
He also offered to excuse late or unpaid rent in exchange for sexual acts and took “adverse housing-related actions” against female tenants who refused him, according to the US Department of Justice (DOJ).
Pedaline and YLP LLC, who owned and managed residential rental properties in Youngstown, Ohio, agreed to pay $199,000 to resolve a lawsuit, brought by the DOJ. The suit alleged that both violated the Fair Housing Act.
“No one should ever have to fear sexual harassment when they sign a lease, pay their rent or simply spend time in their home,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
“Landlords who sexually harass tenants violate the Fair Housing Act, and the Justice Department will continue to hold landlords accountable for this egregious conduct.”
The DOJ complaint said that Pedaline’s conduct occurred with multiple women between 2009 and 2020. It also alleged that YLP LLC was liable for Pedaline’s discriminatory conduct while it owned and managed the rental properties.
As part of the settlement, a consent decree, Pedaline and YLP LLC must pay $189,000 to former tenants harmed by his conduct, as well as a $10,000 civil penalty to the federal government.
They must also take steps to help repair the credit of tenants who were evicted after refusing Pedaline’s advances.
He is permanently barred from being able to rent property again, the department said.
“This resolution should serve as a strong reminder to all landlords that they must comply with all aspects of the Fair Housing Act and may not engage in discriminatory behavior that violates the security, safety and wellbeing of their tenants,” said US Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio.
Individuals who may have been victims of sexual harassment at rental dwellings owned or managed by Joseph Pedaline or YLP LLC are advised to contact the DOJ.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by a landlord or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, email the Justice Department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
Reports may also be made by contacting the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777 or by filing a complaint online.
