Suit says Indy mobile home park discriminated against minorities

An Indianapolis mobile home community is facing a discrimination lawsuit alleging it discouraged people of color and with disabilities from renting, tried to evict current tenants, charged them excessive fees and kept them from using certain facilities.

The nonprofit Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana filed the federal lawsuit against Shiloh Estates this month, after its appeal over what it saw as a flawed state investigation into the discrimination complaint was denied.

The suit alleges that since 2011, the management at Shiloh Estates, a mobile home community on the Eastside, had been discriminating against African-Americans, Latinos, families with children and people with disabilities.

The Indiana Civil Rights Commission ruled earlier this year that it did not find reasonable cause for a possible violation of nondiscrimination laws. In its investigation, it interviewed residents who said "the property manager simply treated everyone in a rude and indifferent manner," according to the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana's appeal letter.

Messages left for the Indiana Civil Rights Commission and the company that owns Shiloh Estates were not immediately returned.

The Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana maintains the property manager's behavior still entailed unlawful discrimination toward people because of their national origin, race, color, disability or family status.

"One can be rude to others and still discriminate against a protected class in violation of fair housing laws through more harsh treatment, name calling, and statements," the nonprofit wrote in its appeal letter.

The nonprofit also said the state's investigation was incomplete, because the agency did not interview enough witnesses or ask enough questions.

"We feel the decision they made was in error," said Amy Nelson, the nonprofit's executive director. "We had no choice but to go to federal court."

Witnesses state that the mobile home's former manager, Pamela Ziemer, used racial slurs in referring to African-American and Latino tenants, according to a news release from the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana. Requests from residents with disabilities for ramps and other accommodations were unlawfully denied, the lawsuit alleges. Families with children also were targeted with unfair policy violations, the release said.

Latinos were also told they would need Social Security numbers to qualify to rent, while white prospective tenants were not, the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana said.

Landlords can, at their discretion, ask for Social Security numbers that show people are living in the country legally, Nelson said, but they must ask it of everybody in order to not discriminate.

The suit was filed against Ziemer, Shiloh Estates, and its owner and management company, FR Community, which is based in Colorado.

Kristine Guerra contributed to this story. Call Star reporter Stephanie Wang at (317) 444-6184. Follow her on Twitter: @stephaniewang.