Montana Fair Housing, Inc. v. City of Bozeman

854 F. Supp. 2d 832, 2012 WL 642305, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25729
CourtDistrict Court, D. Montana
DecidedFebruary 28, 2012
DocketNo. CV 09-90-BU-DLC
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 854 F. Supp. 2d 832 (Montana Fair Housing, Inc. v. City of Bozeman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Montana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Montana Fair Housing, Inc. v. City of Bozeman, 854 F. Supp. 2d 832, 2012 WL 642305, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25729 (D. Mont. 2012).

Opinion

ORDER

DANA L. CHRISTENSEN, District Judge.

I. Introduction

Plaintiff Montana Fair Housing, Inc., (“Fair Housing”) brings this action against Defendants City of Bozeman, Andy Epple, and Vicki Hasler (collectively, “Bozeman”), asserting federal and state claims for exclusionary zoning practices and discrimination in property inspection and licensing. Fair Housing alleges Bozeman’s municipal zoning ordinance discriminates based on disability, age, and marital status. Fair Housing also claims Bozeman has violated Montana law by failing to take affirmative steps to ensure that its zoning and building code enforcement practices are non-discriminatory and compliant with the law.1

Fair Housing has filed a motion for partial summary judgment on Counts III, IV, V, VII, and VIII of its Complaint. For the reasons that follow, the motion is granted in part and denied in part with respect to Counts III, IV, V, and VII, and denied with respect to Count VIII.

II. Factual Background

A. Bozeman’s Zoning Ordinance

The City of Bozeman is a municipality and political subdivision of the state of Montana as defined in Mont. Code Ann. § 7-1-4121(9) and (15), and a local governmental agency as defined by Mont. Code Ann. § 49-3-101(a), and as such its . conduct is governed by federal and state fair housing laws. The City of Bozeman carries out a number of governmental functions related to the regulation of land use and development, including enactment and enforcement of zoning regulations, subdivision review and approval, building code inspection and enforcement, and issuance of building permits and certificates of occupancy.

Effective January 1, 2004, Bozeman adopted a Unified Development Ordinance (the “Ordinance”) to replace what had until that point been a patchwork of regulations governing zoning and development. At issue for purposes of this motion are § 18.16.020 of the Ordinance, which addresses authorized uses within each zoning district (the “Authorized Uses Section”) and § 18.80.1390 of the Ordinance, which defines the term “household” for purposes of the Ordinance (the “Household Definition Section”).

The Authorized Uses Section, which is set forth in greater detail in the Analysis section of this Order, contains a table listing each type of residential use and indicating whether and to what extent each use is permitted in each of the city’s zoning districts. Noteworthy for purposes of Fair Housing’s claims is the treatment of “Assisted Living/Elderly Care Facilities,” which are permitted in one zoning district, allowed on a conditional basis in two districts, and not permitted in four, districts. [835]*835Ordinance § 18.16.020. The areas in which “Assisted Living/Elderly Care Facilities” are not permitted include districts R-S, R-1. and R2, which are among the more desirable residential areas of the city.

A “single-household dwelling” is a permitted use in every zoning district in Bozeman. Under the Household Definition Section of the Ordinance, the term “household” means, inter alia, a single common housekeeping unit comprised of “[a]ny number of people related by blood, marriage, adoption, guardianship or other duly-authorized custodial relationship.” Ordinance § 18.80.1390(A). The definition of “household” explicitly excludes common housekeeping units comprised of more than four unrelated people or more than four handicapped people. Ordinance § 18.80.1390(B), (D)(2).

B. Fair Housing’s Claims

Counts III, IV and V of the Complaint allege that the Authorized Uses Section and the Household Definition Section discriminate against individuals with disabilities 2 in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act3, 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601, et seq. (Count III), the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101, et seq. (Count IV), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. § 794 (Count V). Count III further alleges that Bozeman has violated the Fair Housing Act by publishing material indicating a discriminatory preference against the disabled with respect to housing opportunities and by unlawfully steering individuals with disabilities away from certain housing opportunities. In Count VII of the Complaint, Fair Housing alleges that the Ordinance violates the Montana Human Rights Act, Mont. Code Ann. §§ 49-2-302, 49-2-305, by discriminating against individuals with disabilities (both the Authorized Uses and Household Definition Sections), the elderly (Authorized Uses Section only), and unmarried people (Household Definition Section only). Count VIII alleges that Bozeman has violated the Montana Governmental Code of Fair Practices, Mont. Code Ann. §§ 49-3-204 and 49-3-205, by failing to take affirmative steps to ensure equal treatment of all persons in the exercise of its licensing and regulatory powers and to analyze its operations to identify any possible instances of discriminatory conduct. Fair Housing seeks summary judgment on each of these claims.

III. Analysis

A. Summary Judgment Standard

A party is entitled to summary judgment if it can demonstrate “that there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a). Summary judgment is warranted where the documentary evidence produced by the parties permits only one conclusion. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. [836]*836242, 251, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). On a motion for summary judgment, this Court must determine whether a fair-minded trier of fact could return a verdict for the nonmoving party. Id. at 252,106 S.Ct. 2505.

The party seeking summary judgment bears the initial burden of informing the Court of the basis for its motion, and identifying those portions of the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, which it believes demonstrate the absence of any genuine issue of material fact. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 323, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986).

Where the moving party has met his initial burden with a properly supported motion, the party opposing the motion “may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of his pleading, but ... must set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial.” Anderson, at 248, 106 S.Ct. 2505 The nonmoving party may do this by use of affidavits (including his own), depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions. Id.

In evaluating the appropriateness of summary judgment the Court must first determine whether a fact is material; and if so, it must then determine whether there is a genuine issue for the trier of fact, as determined by the documents submitted to the Court. The applicable substantive law will identify which facts are material.

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854 F. Supp. 2d 832, 2012 WL 642305, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 25729, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/montana-fair-housing-inc-v-city-of-bozeman-mtd-2012.