[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the Town of Mount Pleasant 11-24-1970. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Affirmative action — See Ch. 4.
A. 
In the Town of Mount Pleasant, with its population consisting of people of various races, creeds, colors, sexes and national origins, there is no greater danger to the health, morals, safety and welfare of the town and its inhabitants than the existence of groups and individuals reflecting prejudice against one another and antagonistic to each other because of difference of race, creed, color, sex or national origin. The Town Board hereby finds and declares that acts of prejudice, intolerance, bigotry and discrimination deny a person the opportunity to sell, purchase, lease, rent or obtain financing for the purchase or lease of housing accommodations because of race, creed, color, sex or national origin, threatens the fundamental rights and privileges of the inhabitants of the Town of Mount Pleasant and undermines the foundations of a free democratic state. The Town Board further declares it to be the public policy of the Town of Mount Pleasant to eliminate and prevent discrimination and involuntary segregation based on race, creed, color, sex or national origin and to safeguard the right of every person to sell, purchase, lease or rent or obtain financing for the purchase or lease of housing accommodations without regard to race, creed, color, sex or national origin.
B. 
The Town Board further declares it to be the public policy of the Town of Mount Pleasant to require that every department or other subdivision of said town which may be involved in any construction programs for road building or recreational construction programs which could involve the removal or replacement of persons from their present living accommodations and their resettlement elsewhere (or which endeavor to implement any public or publicly assisted or public-approved housing or relocation plan) notify the Town Board of such action planned so that it may receive from the Town Board such recommendations as, in the judgment of the Board, will aid in effectuating the purpose of this chapter, including the elimination or minimization of involuntary segregation in housing within the town.
C. 
In accordance with this policy, it shall be the duty of all town officers, officials and employees to exercise any governmental function relating to the use, sale or occupancy of land, real property or housing accommodations in such a manner, consistent with law, that all patterns of involuntary racially segregated housing existing in this town be eliminated and that the creation of any such patterns be prevented to the maximum extent that such a result can be achieved by such action.
When used in this chapter, the following term or terms shall be interpreted or defined as follows:
HOUSING ACCOMMODATION
Any place permitted for human habitation by the Town of Mount Pleasant.
LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE
Includes any attorney at law hereafter designated by the Town Board of the Town of Mount Pleasant to prosecute violations of this chapter.
NATIONAL ORIGIN
Includes ancestry.
PERSON
Includes one or more individuals, partnerships, associations, corporations, legal representatives, trustees, trustees in bankruptcy or receivers. The plural shall include the singular and vice versa.
The Town Clerk is authorized to receive complaints in affidavit form setting out in detail the facts concerning violations of this chapter and, within one week after receipt of such complaint, to forward same to the local representative of the town, who shall take the necessary action to enforce the provisions of this chapter. Such action shall not require Town Board approval.
No person or agent, acting on his own behalf or on behalf of another, shall:
A. 
Refuse to sell, rent or lease any housing accommodations or land to any person or group of persons or refuse to negotiate for the sale, rental or lease of any housing accommodations or land to any person or group of persons because of race, creed, color, sex or national origin of such persons or persons or represent that any housing accommodation or land is not available for inspection, sale, rental or lease when, in fact, it is so available or otherwise deny or withhold any housing accommodation or land or any facilities of any housing accommodation or land from any person or group of persons because of race, creed, color, sex or national origin of such person or persons.
B. 
Discriminate against any person because of his race, creed, color, sex, ancestry or national origin in the terms, conditions or privileges of the sale, rental or lease of any housing accommodations or in the furnishing of facilities or services in connection therewith.
C. 
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 housing accommodation or land or make any record of inquiry in connection with the prospective purchase, rental or lease of any housing accommodation or land which expresses, directly or indirectly, any limitation, specification or discrimination as to race, creed, color, sex or national origin, or any intent to make any such limitation, specification or discrimination.
D. 
The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to.
(1) 
The rental of a housing accommodation in a building which contains housing accommodations for not more than two families living independently of each other if the owner or members of his family reside in one of such housing accommodations; or
(2) 
To the rental of a room or rooms in a housing accommodation to not more than five individuals at any one time if such rental is by the occupant of the housing accommodation or by the owner of the housing accommodation and he or members of his family reside in such housing accommodations.
No person, bank, trust company, private banker, savings bank, industrial bank, savings and loan association, credit union, investment company, mortgage company, insurance company or other financial institution or lender doing business in the town (and, if incorporated, regardless of whether incorporated under the laws of the State of New York, the United States or any other jurisdiction), or any officer, agent or employee thereof, to whom application is made for financial assistance for the purchase, acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair or maintenance of any housing accommodation or land shall:
A. 
Discriminate against any such applicant or applicants because of the race, creed, color, sex or national origin of such applicant or applicants or of any member, stockholder, director, officer of employee of such applicant or applicants or of the prospective occupants or tenants of such housing accommodation or land in the granting, withholding, extending or renewing or in the fixing of the rates, term or donations of any such financial assistance.
B. 
Use any form or application for such financial assistance or to make any record of inquiry in connection with applications for such financial assistance which expresses, directly or indirectly, any limitation, specification or discrimination because of race, creed, color, sex or national origin.
No person engaged in any activity to which this chapter applies shall retaliate or discriminate against any person because he has opposed any practices forbidden under this chapter or because he has filed a complaint, testified or assisted in any proceeding under this chapter.
No application for a building permit for a housing accommodation submitted after this chapter takes effect shall be valid unless it bears the printed and signed statement that the permit applicant understands and will comply with this chapter.
Any person convicted of violating this chapter shall be guilty of a violation punishable by a fine of not more than $250 or by imprisonment for a period not exceeding 15 days, and shall be ordered to make available to the complainant the premises involved, or by all or any combination of such fine, imprisonment and order; provided, however, if the court in which the complaint is filed has no power to impose both a fine or imprisonment and an order requiring the availability of the premises involved, the court may impose, in lieu of a sentence of a fine and/or imprisonment, a sentence of conditional discharge pursuant to § 65.05 of the Penal Law, one of the conditions of such discharge being that the defendant make available to the complainant the premises involved.
A. 
In order to prevent the rental or sale of housing accommodations under investigation in the period after a complaint is filed with the Town Clerk but before an injunction is obtained, the legal representative may post for 15 days a notice on said housing accommodation when the person or persons charged refuse to agree in writing not to sell or rent during the pendency of the town action against him or them.
B. 
Any person or persons who remove the posted notices shall be guilty of a violation punishable by a fine of not more than $250 or by imprisonment for a period not exceeding 15 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
C. 
In order further to prevent the rental or sale of the housing accommodations in such an action, the legal representative may seek from a Judge or Justice of any court of competent jurisdiction a temporary injunction or restraining order to prevent the disposition of the housing accommodations to other than the complainant during the pendency of the complaint alleging discrimination.