[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Village of Larchmont 9-8-1969 as Ch. XXV of the Revised General Ordinances, as amended through 8-4-1975. Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 9-14-1987 by L.L. No. 4-1987]
The Village Board hereby finds and declares that acts of prejudice, intolerance, bigotry and discrimination which deny a person the opportunity to sell, purchase, lease, rent or to obtain financing for the purchase or lease of unimproved land or housing accommodations because of race, creed, color, age, sex or national origin undermines the foundations of a free, democratic community. The Village Board declares it to be the public policy of the Village of Larchmont to eliminate and prevent such discrimination and to safeguard the right of every person to sell, purchase, lease, rent or to obtain financing for the purchase or lease of unimproved land or housing accommodations without regard to race, creed, color, age, sex or national origin. This chapter is adopted in order to reinforce this policy and to supplement the federal and state laws pertaining to fair housing.
A. 
Definitions. As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
HOUSING ACCOMMODATION
Includes any building, structure or portion thereof which is used or occupied or is intended, arranged or designed to be used or occupied as the home, residence or sleeping place of one or more human beings.
NATIONAL ORIGIN
Includes ancestry.
PERSON
Includes one or more individuals, partnerships, associations, corporations, legal representatives and successors.
VILLAGE ATTORNEY
Includes Deputy Village Attorney.
B. 
Word usage. The singular of any term used herein shall include the plural, where appropriate.
A. 
No person, or agent acting on behalf of another, shall:
[Amended 9-14-1987 by L.L. No. 4-1987]
(1) 
Refuse to sell, lease or rent or otherwise deny or withhold any unimproved land or any housing accommodation, constructed or to be constructed in the Village of Larchmont, to any person or refuse to negotiate for the sale, lease or rental of any unimproved land or housing accommodation to any person by reason of the race, creed, color, age, sex or national origin of such person; or represent, because of the race, creed, color, age, sex or national origin of the person, that any unimproved land or housing accommodation is not available.
(2) 
Discriminate against any person because of his race, creed, color, age, sex or national origin in the terms, conditions or privileges of the sale, rental or lease of any unimproved land or housing accommodation constructed or to be constructed.
(3) 
Print or circulate, or cause to be printed or circulated, any statement, advertisement or publication or use any form or application for the purchase, rental or lease of any unimproved land or any housing accommodations, to make any record of inquiry in connection with the prospective purchase, rental or lease of any unimproved land or any housing accommodation, which expresses, directly or indirectly, any limitation, specification or discrimination as to race, creed, color, age, sex or national origin, or any intent to make any such limitation, specification or discrimination.
B. 
No bank, trust company, savings bank, savings and loan association or other financial institution to whom application is made for financial assistance for the purchase of unimproved land or any housing accommodation located in the Village of Larchmont and no agent acting on behalf of such person shall discriminate against any person because of race, creed, color, age, sex or national origin in the granting, withholding, extending or renewing or in the fixing of the rates, terms or conditions of any such financial assistance.
[Amended 9-14-1987 by L.L. No. 4-1987]
C. 
No person shall aid, abet, incite, compel or coerce the doing of any of the acts forbidden under this chapter, or attempt to do so.
D. 
No person engaged in any activity to which this chapter applies shall retaliate or discriminate against any person because such person has filed a complaint, testifies or assisted in any proceeding under this chapter.
[Amended 9-14-1987 by L.L. No. 4-1987]
A. 
Any person who shall engage in any of the prohibited acts as hereinabove enumerated shall be subject to a fine, for each and every offense, of not more than $250 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 15 days, or to both such fine and imprisonment.
B. 
Any person who, as a landlord, has been found guilty of any of the prohibited acts as hereinabove enumerated shall offer the next comparable available rental unit to the person upon whose complaint such conviction was made. Any such landlord who shall fail to offer such rental unit as required herein shall be subject to a fine of not more than $250 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 15 days, or to both such fine and imprisonment.
C. 
Any person who shall falsely charge another with any of the prohibited acts as hereinabove enumerated, knowing such charge to be false, shall be subject to a fine of not more than $250 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 15 days, or to both such fine and imprisonment. Any person who knowingly withholds from the Village Attorney such material information or evidence as would tend to excuse or exonerate a defendant charged with any of such prohibited acts as hereinabove defined shall be subject to a fine of not more than $250 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 15 days, or to both such fine and imprisonment.
A. 
Within 10 days after the alleged occurrence of a prohibited act, as hereinbefore enumerated, any person claiming to be aggrieved by another person, having engaged in one of said prohibited acts, may file with the Village Attorney a verified complaint, in writing, which shall state the name and address of the property owner, the address of the property involved, the name and address of the individual agent or lending institution which allegedly engaged in one of the prohibited acts and a detailed statement describing the alleged prohibited act; and upon receiving a verified complaint, the Village Attorney, on behalf of the Village of Larchmont, after due notice to the person complained against and after such investigation as he deems appropriate, may seek the imposition of a fine, as hereinabove provided, for any violation of this chapter.
[Amended 9-14-1987 by L.L. No. 4-1987]
B. 
If authorized by the Village Board of Trustees, the Village Attorney shall promptly apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for a restraining order or temporary injunction, or both, to compel compliance with or prevent a breach of this chapter.
C. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a person who claims to be aggrieved by an alleged occurrence of a prohibited act shall have a cause of action in any court of appropriate jurisdiction to compel compliance with or prevent a breach of this chapter; provided, however, that any such action must be brought within 10 days after the alleged violation and notice thereof given to the Village Attorney.