Re: Help.our apt. is discriminating against son w/ Autism

[Guest guest]

Try consulting the American's With Disabilities website - they have information available to steer you in the right direction. When my son's former daycare tried to push him out because of his autism, I went that route and through their efforts and some local agencies, the daycare ended up closing.

http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm

Don't be afraid to speak up to the landlord - letting him or her know that you won't be pushed around is a big help. Tell your irate neighbor that (unless he is a paid employee of the building) you will be contacting local law enforcement for harassment if he doesn't cease coming to your door complaining. You made no secrets when you rented the apartment, but the landlord might have hidden it from the people who live under you - in that case, it's his problem, not yours.

Ralph

>> I really need some advice and help. I am a single mother of a 5 1/2 yr. old > boy with Autism and a 16 year old daughter. We recently relocated from a > house to an apartment due to financial reasons. We told the Apartment > personnel that my son has autism and sometimes will scream or have temper > tantrums, we did not hide the issue. We were told that it would not be a > problem and were rented a 3 bedroom apartment on the 3rd floor. After only > being in the unit for 3 weeks we are being told that the couple on the > bottom floor are complaining and the man below is also a "courtesy" security > officer for the complex. He has come up to our door at various hours > irriate that my son is being "loud". I am told that I cannot break my lease > but that the apartment would like me to move at my own expense to a smaller > unit on the bottom floor when it comes available. Am I insane or is this > discrimmination and do I have any legal standing? Please let me know what > my options are as I don't have a lot of excess money for an attorney after > therapy and his special food and supplements. I am at my wits end and feel > very helpless.> > Thank you for your time,> > Tamera Fitzgerald> @ Parks on the Creek Apartments in McKinney> > My # 214-680-9694>

[Guest guest]

Tamera,

I am a lawyer, but I don't work in this area, so I'm not sure what the " rules " are.

http://www.texasworkforce.org/crd/housing_fact.html

Here is a website for the Texas Fair Housing Commission. They have a procedure for lodging a complaint. Another option you may have is to check with the SMU school of law, they may have a clinic that suits your needs: www.clinics.law.smu.edu A clinic is a program whereby lower income folks can have law students represent them. (The students are pretty darn hard working and smart and they are supervised by adult grown up lawyers. :-))

You may also try the Dallas Bar Association.

They have a legal line:

On the 2nd and 3rd Wednesday of each month, The Dallas Bar Association sponsors LegalLine, an anonymous telephone hotline, where volunteers attorneys will answer your legal questions for FREE by answering phone calls from 5:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. There are Spanish-speaking attorneys when available. The telephone number to call is (214) 220-7476.

They also have a page with lots of free or low cost ways of obtaining legal help:

http://www.dallasbar.org/public/legal-resources.asp

Perhaps some of these will be of use. Let me know if you need anything else.

On 10/3/06, Tamera <tiapics@...> wrote:

I really need some advice and help. I am a single mother of a 5 1/2 yr. old boy with Autism and a 16 year old daughter. We recently relocated from a house to an apartment due to financial reasons. We told the Apartment personnel that my son has autism and sometimes will scream or have temper tantrums, we did not hide the issue. We were told that it would not be a problem and were rented a 3 bedroom apartment on the 3rd floor. After only being in the unit for 3 weeks we are being told that the couple on the bottom floor are complaining and the man below is also a " courtesy " security officer for the complex. He has come up to our door at various hours irriate that my son is being " loud " . I am told that I cannot break my lease but that the apartment would like me to move at my own expense to a smaller unit on the bottom floor when it comes available. Am I insane or is this discrimmination and do I have any legal standing? Please let me know what my options are as I don't have a lot of excess money for an attorney after therapy and his special food and supplements. I am at my wits end and feel very helpless.Thank you for your time,Tamera Fitzgerald@ Parks on the Creek Apartments in McKinneyMy # 214-680-9694

[Guest guest]

Tamara, I have a paralegal degree and your situation sounds similiar to a case we studied. I can't give legal advice but I can lookup law for you....what City/State are you in? AprilTamera <tiapics@...> wrote: I really need some advice and help. I am a single mother of a 5 1/2 yr. old boy with Autism and a 16 year old daughter. We recently relocated from a house to an apartment due to financial reasons. We told the Apartment

personnel that my son has autism and sometimes will scream or have temper tantrums, we did not hide the issue. We were told that it would not be a problem and were rented a 3 bedroom apartment on the 3rd floor. After only being in the unit for 3 weeks we are being told that the couple on the bottom floor are complaining and the man below is also a "courtesy" security officer for the complex. He has come up to our door at various hours irriate that my son is being "loud". I am told that I cannot break my lease but that the apartment would like me to move at my own expense to a smaller unit on the bottom floor when it comes available. Am I insane or is this discrimmination and do I have any legal standing? Please let me know what my options are as I don't have a lot of excess money for an attorney after therapy and his special food and supplements. I am at my wits end and feel very helpless.Thank you for your

time,Tamera Fitzgerald@ Parks on the Creek Apartments in McKinneyMy # 214-680-9694