[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Mount Pleasant 11-24-1970.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Affirmative action — See Ch. 4.
A.
In the Town of Mount Pleasant, with its population consisting
of people of various races, creeds, colors, sexes and national origins, there
is no greater danger to the health, morals, safety and welfare of the town
and its inhabitants than the existence of groups and individuals reflecting
prejudice against one another and antagonistic to each other because of difference
of race, creed, color, sex or national origin. The Town Board hereby finds
and declares that acts of prejudice, intolerance, bigotry and discrimination
deny a person the opportunity to sell, purchase, lease, rent or obtain financing
for the purchase or lease of housing accommodations because of race, creed,
color, sex or national origin, threatens the fundamental rights and privileges
of the inhabitants of the Town of Mount Pleasant and undermines the foundations
of a free democratic state. The Town Board further declares it to be the public
policy of the Town of Mount Pleasant to eliminate and prevent discrimination
and involuntary segregation based on race, creed, color, sex or national origin
and to safeguard the right of every person to sell, purchase, lease or rent
or obtain financing for the purchase or lease of housing accommodations without
regard to race, creed, color, sex or national origin.
B.
The Town Board further declares it to be the public policy
of the Town of Mount Pleasant to require that every department or other subdivision
of said town which may be involved in any construction programs for road building
or recreational construction programs which could involve the removal or replacement
of persons from their present living accommodations and their resettlement
elsewhere (or which endeavor to implement any public or publicly assisted
or public-approved housing or relocation plan) notify the Town Board of such
action planned so that it may receive from the Town Board such recommendations
as, in the judgment of the Board, will aid in effectuating the purpose of
this chapter, including the elimination or minimization of involuntary segregation
in housing within the town.
C.
In accordance with this policy, it shall be the duty
of all town officers, officials and employees to exercise any governmental
function relating to the use, sale or occupancy of land, real property or
housing accommodations in such a manner, consistent with law, that all patterns
of involuntary racially segregated housing existing in this town be eliminated
and that the creation of any such patterns be prevented to the maximum extent
that such a result can be achieved by such action.
When used in this chapter, the following term or terms shall be interpreted
or defined as follows:
Any place permitted for human habitation by the Town of Mount Pleasant.
Includes any attorney at law hereafter designated by the Town Board
of the Town of Mount Pleasant to prosecute violations of this chapter.
Includes ancestry.
Includes one or more individuals, partnerships, associations, corporations,
legal representatives, trustees, trustees in bankruptcy or receivers. The
plural shall include the singular and vice versa.
The Town Clerk is authorized to receive complaints in affidavit form
setting out in detail the facts concerning violations of this chapter and,
within one week after receipt of such complaint, to forward same to the local
representative of the town, who shall take the necessary action to enforce
the provisions of this chapter. Such action shall not require Town Board approval.
No person or agent, acting on his own behalf or on behalf of another,
shall:
A.
Refuse to sell, rent or lease any housing accommodations
or land to any person or group of persons or refuse to negotiate for the sale,
rental or lease of any housing accommodations or land to any person or group
of persons because of race, creed, color, sex or national origin of such persons
or persons or represent that any housing accommodation or land is not available
for inspection, sale, rental or lease when, in fact, it is so available or
otherwise deny or withhold any housing accommodation or land or any facilities
of any housing accommodation or land from any person or group of persons because
of race, creed, color, sex or national origin of such person or persons.
B.
Discriminate against any person because of his race,
creed, color, sex, ancestry or national origin in the terms, conditions or
privileges of the sale, rental or lease of any housing accommodations or in
the furnishing of facilities or services in connection therewith.
C.
Print or circulate or cause to be printed or circulated
any statement, advertisement or publication or use any form or application
for the purchase, rental or lease of any housing accommodation or land or
make any record of inquiry in connection with the prospective purchase, rental
or lease of any housing accommodation or land which expresses, directly or
indirectly, any limitation, specification or discrimination as to race, creed,
color, sex or national origin, or any intent to make any such limitation,
specification or discrimination.
D.
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to.
(1)
The rental of a housing accommodation in a building which
contains housing accommodations for not more than two families living independently
of each other if the owner or members of his family reside in one of such
housing accommodations; or
(2)
To the rental of a room or rooms in a housing accommodation
to not more than five individuals at any one time if such rental is by the
occupant of the housing accommodation or by the owner of the housing accommodation
and he or members of his family reside in such housing accommodations.
No person, bank, trust company, private banker, savings bank, industrial
bank, savings and loan association, credit union, investment company, mortgage
company, insurance company or other financial institution or lender doing
business in the town (and, if incorporated, regardless of whether incorporated
under the laws of the State of New York, the United States or any other jurisdiction),
or any officer, agent or employee thereof, to whom application is made for
financial assistance for the purchase, acquisition, construction, rehabilitation,
repair or maintenance of any housing accommodation or land shall:
A.
Discriminate against any such applicant or applicants
because of the race, creed, color, sex or national origin of such applicant
or applicants or of any member, stockholder, director, officer of employee
of such applicant or applicants or of the prospective occupants or tenants
of such housing accommodation or land in the granting, withholding, extending
or renewing or in the fixing of the rates, term or donations of any such financial
assistance.
B.
Use any form or application for such financial assistance
or to make any record of inquiry in connection with applications for such
financial assistance which expresses, directly or indirectly, any limitation,
specification or discrimination because of race, creed, color, sex or national
origin.
No person shall aid, abet, incite, compel or coerce the doing of any
of the acts forbidden under this chapter or attempt to do so.
No person engaged in any activity to which this chapter applies shall
retaliate or discriminate against any person because he has opposed any practices
forbidden under this chapter or because he has filed a complaint, testified
or assisted in any proceeding under this chapter.
No application for a building permit for a housing accommodation submitted
after this chapter takes effect shall be valid unless it bears the printed
and signed statement that the permit applicant understands and will comply
with this chapter.
Any person convicted of violating this chapter shall be guilty of a
violation punishable by a fine of not more than $250 or by imprisonment for
a period not exceeding 15 days, and shall be ordered to make available to
the complainant the premises involved, or by all or any combination of such
fine, imprisonment and order; provided, however, if the court in which the
complaint is filed has no power to impose both a fine or imprisonment and
an order requiring the availability of the premises involved, the court may
impose, in lieu of a sentence of a fine and/or imprisonment, a sentence of
conditional discharge pursuant to § 65.05 of the Penal Law, one
of the conditions of such discharge being that the defendant make available
to the complainant the premises involved.
A.
In order to prevent the rental or sale of housing accommodations
under investigation in the period after a complaint is filed with the Town
Clerk but before an injunction is obtained, the legal representative may post
for 15 days a notice on said housing accommodation when the person or persons
charged refuse to agree in writing not to sell or rent during the pendency
of the town action against him or them.
B.
Any person or persons who remove the posted notices shall
be guilty of a violation punishable by a fine of not more than $250 or by
imprisonment for a period not exceeding 15 days, or by both such fine and
imprisonment.
C.
In order further to prevent the rental or sale of the
housing accommodations in such an action, the legal representative may seek
from a Judge or Justice of any court of competent jurisdiction a temporary
injunction or restraining order to prevent the disposition of the housing
accommodations to other than the complainant during the pendency of the complaint
alleging discrimination.
