FARGO, ND - AARP North Dakota has filed a brief as a "friend of the court" in a state Supreme Court lawsuit between the state's Department of Labor and Matrix Properties Corp. in Fargo. The department is suing Matrix, alleging the company did not build apartments in compliance with the federal Fair Housing Amendments Act. The department is responsible for enforcing labor and human rights laws.
The suit came after a Fargo man, who uses a wheelchair, complained that he could not move through the halls while living at Matrix's Stonebridge Apartments, 2510 36th Ave. S., in Fargo. He argued the complex's doors were not wide enough and the thresholds were too high, according to AARP. Since 1991, the act has mandated that all new multifamily housing buildings be built to accommodate people with disabilities.
"We believe that people of every ability should be able to live where they want to," Linda Wurtz, an AARP associate state director for advocacy, said Tuesday. "You shouldn't be limited to a few buildings."
"The vast majority of people over 50 years old prefer to remain in their homes as they age," Julie Nepveu, an attorney with AARP Foundation Litigation, said in a statement. "They need housing that will be safe and comfortable to meet their changing needs as they age or develop disabilities." Stonebridge Apartments comprises five 48-unit segments that were built between 1997 and 1999, according to city records.
Matrix fought the suit in state District Court by arguing the resident's complaints were time barred because they were brought more than two years after the apartment construction was completed. The district court dismissed Matrix's claim, but the company is challenging the ruling. It's unknown when the state's high court will take action in the case.
Source: In-Forum.com