FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 23, 2024
Contacts:
Elana Eden, media@lafla.org
Tina Pinedo, media@dredf.org
Los Angeles, Calif. – Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) and co-counsel Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) have filed a lawsuit against Beach Front Property Management, Inc. for alleged disability discrimination. Beach Front, which manages hundreds of properties across Southern California, is accused of refusing to allow a long-term tenant to store her motorized wheelchair in an accessible location, making it impossible for her to enter or leave her own apartment.
The tenant, Noor Tamshoona, is unable to walk and uses a motorized wheelchair for mobility outside her home. Since 2009, she has lived with her family in a low-income apartment complex in Los Angeles. For over 10 years, Ms. Tamshoona was allowed to store her wheelchair in a locked storage room near her family’s parking space as an accommodation for her disability.
That changed when Beach Front assumed management responsibilities at the complex in late 2021. Within months, and without notice, Beach Front rescinded Ms. Tamshoona’s long-standing disability accommodation and changed the locks to the storage room with her wheelchair still inside. Beach Front has repeatedly denied Ms. Tamshoona’s requests to reinstate her accommodation, instead demanding that she pay a monthly fee of $100, later increased to $200, to continue storing her wheelchair onsite. Moreover, Beach Front continues to deny Ms. Tamshoona access to the storage room which still contains her wheelchair.
“My wheelchair is like my legs. Without it, I’ve been isolated at home—I can’t even visit my doctor or celebrate the holidays with my family,” said Ms. Tamshoona. “I hope this case causes Beach Front to reconsider my request, and shows other property managers that they are liable for these impacts.”
“Ms. Tamshoona’s request isn’t unreasonable, burdensome, or novel, and it is clearly protected by established law,” said Manuel Villagomez, Staff Attorney at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. “It seems almost unbelieve that this kind of injustice can take place so blatantly, but we are now forced to litigate in order to protect the rights of Ms. Tamshoona and all disabled tenants at Beach Front properties.”
“Housing providers have been required to make reasonable accommodations for disabled tenants under fair housing law for decades,” said Michelle Uzeta, Deputy Legal Director at DREDF. “Beach Front’s actions in this case are egregious and have severely impacted Ms. Tamshoona’s independence and ability to move about freely in the community for nearly two years.”
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California (Tamshoona v. Beach Front Property Management, Inc., Case No: 2:24-cv-00562), alleges violations of the Fair Housing Amendments Act, Fair Employment and Housing Act, among other claims. It seeks policy changes, fair housing training of Beach Front employees, and monetary damages. Read the full complaint here.
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Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), based in Berkeley, California, is a national nonprofit law and policy center dedicated to advancing and protecting the civil and human rights of people with disabilities. Founded in 1979 by people with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities, DREDF remains board- and staff-led by members of the communities for whom we advocate. DREDF pursues its mission through education, advocacy, and law reform efforts.
Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) is a nonprofit law firm that seeks to achieve equal justice for people living in poverty across Greater Los Angeles. For over 90 years, LAFLA has been changing lives through direct representation, systems change, and community empowerment. Every year, LAFLA provides free, high-quality legal services to more than 100,000 people—leveling the playing field and ensuring that everyone can access the legal system. Our unique combination of neighborhood offices, self-help centers at courthouses, and domestic violence clinics puts LAFLA on the front lines in vulnerable communities, and at the forefront of change.
