Manchester landlords fined for refusing tenant emotional support dog

CONCORD - Two Manchester landlords will have to pay $8,500 for prohibiting a tenant from having an emotional support dog in her apartment.

United States District Judge Steven J. McAuliffe has approved a consent decree resolving allegations that former Manchester landlords Marc Morin and Tracy Stapula Morin violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA), U.S. Attorney Jane Young announced.

In a complaint filed on Dec 4, the United States alleged that the Morins discriminated against a tenant at a residential rental property in Manchester by refusing to consider the tenant's reasonable accommodation request. The tenant sought an exception to the property's no-pets rule to reside with an Emotional Support Animal (ESA), a Yorkshire terrier mix.

The tenant, who has diagnosed mental health disorders, had the dog as an ESA. After the tenant requested permission to have the ESA reside with her and shared a letter from her health care provider recommending that she have the ESA to assist with her disability, the Morins refused and instead attempted to evict the tenant three times. The Morins later sold the property.

The $8,500C consent decree resolves the claims in the government's complaint. The Morins have agreed to pay the tenant reasonable accommodation policies for its residential properties that comply with the FHA should they become landlords again, and complete FHA training.