Robert L. Hatcher v. Sylvain Yang

District Court, W.D. Oklahoma·Decided August 10, 2026·No. 5:24-cv-00377·Unknown

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF OKLAHOMA

ROBERT L. HATCHER, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) Case No. CIV-24-377-ALM ) SYLVAIN YANG, ) ) Defendant. )

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

This matter was tried to the court by consent of the parties on June 24, 2026. Plaintiff Robert L. Hatcher and Defendant Sylvain Yang appeared pro se. A transcript of the non-jury trial was filed on July 30, 2026. (Doc. 94). Upon due consideration and review of the evidence presented at the bench trial, the court makes the following findings of fact and conclusions of law. I. Findings of Fact1 At all relevant times, Plaintiff was a man in his seventies. (Id. at 15). Plaintiff began receiving Supplemental Security Income benefits in 2021, and he suffers from hypertension, has experienced two heart attacks, and deals with “tremendous stress.” (Id. at 8-9). Plaintiff takes four different medications for his high blood pressure and an

1 Several events and contentions related to the relationship between the parties, but unrelated to the claims asserted by Plaintiff, were discussed at the trial. (See, e.g., Doc. 94, at 98-99) (Plaintiff noting issue unrelated to relevant claims). The Court only includes facts relevant to the disposition of Plaintiff’s two Fair Housing Act claims in its findings of fact. antidepressant sleeping pill. (Id. at 9). Plaintiff is also recovering from prostate cancer, had surgery on an arm that still causes him problems, and “sometime[s] . . . fall[s]” because

of balance issues. (Id. at 8-9). Because of his health status, Plaintiff received financial and personal assistance from Hope Community Services, an organization that supports tenants with disabilities (Id. at 7-8). On May 21, 2021, Plaintiff entered into a rental agreement with Defendant (“the May 2021 lease”) to rent and live in one unit of the duplex located at 2416 NW 11th Street. (Id. at 6-7, 15, 50). Before Plaintiff entered into the rental agreement, a representative from

Hope Community Services met with Defendant to discuss Plaintiff’s disabilities and to inform Defendant that Plaintiff received Social Security Income benefits. (Id. at 7, 13). Defendant testified that he was only made aware of Plaintiff’s mental health problems, and not any physical problems, prior to entering into the May 2021 lease with Plaintiff. (Id. at 36). While this testimony is partially supported by Plaintiff’s concession that he never

provided Defendant with a medical report or other documentation describing his physical disability, (id. at 21), Plaintiff’s testimony that Defendant was nevertheless told about Plaintiff’s physical and mental disabilities is slightly more credible. Plaintiff testified that, because of his hypertension, Defendant installed new air conditioning units that kept Plaintiff’s apartment cooler. (Id. at 13). He also testified that the State of Oklahoma came

to the property to “check on” him given this health status. (Id.) Defendant maintained the yard on the property for most of the May 2021 lease. (Id. at 9, 27-28). On August 12, 2022, the parties entered into a second rental agreement for the property that became effective on August 15, 2022, and extended until August 14, 2024, (“the August 2022 lease).2 (Def.’s Ex. 1, at 1). Unlike the May 2021 lease, the August 2022 lease required Plaintiff to “mow, irrigate, and maintain any surrounding grounds,

including lawns, shrubbery, and gutters, and keep the same clear of rubbish, trash, weeds, or leaves.” (Id. at 2). Plaintiff originally complied with the August 2022 lease’s new yard-maintenance requirement. (Doc. 94, at 9). But sometime during the August 2022 lease, Plaintiff hurt his leg and two of his toes and told Defendant he could not and would not do the yard work anymore.3 (Id. at 9, 28-29). Defendant told Plaintiff that yard maintenance was a

requirement of the agreement. (Id. at 9, 34). As a result, Plaintiff continued to maintain the yard for much of the August 2022 lease. (Id. at 26-27). Sometimes he mowed the yard personally, but on four occasions he hired others to mow the lawn for him. (Id.) Plaintiff eventually stopped maintaining the yard. (Id. at 10). When he stopped, Defendant hired a maintenance crew to mow the property’s lawn on about six occasions. (Id. at 27-28).

Defendant did not specifically ask Plaintiff to maintain the yard before hiring the maintenance crew, speak to Plaintiff prior to hiring the crew, or ask Plaintiff to pay for services the crew rendered. (Id. at 28). The duplex has two parking spaces in the back that connect by a driveway to the

2 The terms of this rental agreement provided that the agreement terminated on August 14, 2023. (Def.’s Ex. 1, at 1). The agreement had an automatic-renewal provision, however, that went into effect and renewed the agreement through August 14, 2024. (Doc. 94, at 79- 81, 87; Def.’s Ex. 1, at 6).

3 Plaintiff states he “think[s]” this injury and subsequent interaction with Defendant occurred in July of 2022, but this date appears incorrect because the parties at that time were not subject to the August 2022 lease’s maintenance requirement. (Doc. 94, at 28-29). street in the front. (Id. at 50); (Def.’s Ex. 4, at 1) (image of parking spaces); (Def.’s Ex. 7) (sketch of duplex, driveway, and parking spaces). The two parking spaces are meant to be

shared by the duplex’s tenants. (Doc. 94, at 50). During his residence at Defendant’s property, Plaintiff sometimes had issues parking in the designated spaces behind his home because other tenants would park their cars in the driveway and block access to the parking spaces. (Id. at 12, 19). Plaintiff did not inform Defendant that he could not use the parking spaces. (Id. at 21, 35-36). However, Plaintiff parked his car in the street until it was struck twice by other drivers. (Id. at 14-15, 65). Plaintiff then moved his car to the yard until he

received a ticket for parking in the grass. (Id. at 15). Plaintiff next elected to park his car in the driveway, but Defendant informed him that the car would be towed if it was not moved off the driveway. (Id. at 12-13, 58-59). In a subsequent email exchange between the parties, Defendant explained that Plaintiff was permitted to park in the parking spaces behind the duplex, just not in the driveway. (Def.’s Ex. 4, at 2). Defendant also explained

on another occasion that he would talk to another tenant who parked inappropriately. (Doc. 94, at 20). Plaintiff states that the stress of having Defendant as his landlord during this time caused him to be bedridden and eventually required a trip to the emergency room. (Id. at 29). Plaintiff testified that he visited a cardiologist who indicated he should “slow down”

because the doctor had noticed a “little something” in his heart. (Id. at 30). In August 2023, Defendant offered Plaintiff a third rental agreement for the property to begin at the expiration of the second, but Plaintiff did not sign it. (Id. at 22, 81). The third rental agreement raised the rent on the property and continued to require Plaintiff’s maintenance of the yard. (Id. at 75). Plaintiff left the property on August 14, 2024. (Id. at 87).

II. Conclusions of Law Plaintiff alleged two violations of the Fair Housing Act (“FHA”), 42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq., at trial. His first claim relates to Defendant’s alleged refusal to make the reasonable accommodation of providing free yard maintenance at the property.4 The second claim relates to Defendant’s alleged refusal to make the reasonable accommodation of permitting Defendant to park his car in the parking spaces behind his home.

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Robert L. Hatcher v. Sylvain Yang, (W.D. Okla. 2026).

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