Former Cedar Rapids landlord fined for discrimination

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says an administrative law judge has ordered an Iowa landlord to pay $52,000 in damages and penalties to resolve a discrimination case.

In November 2008, a mother of three alleged Cedar Rapids landlord Robert Miell refused to rent her a three-bedroom apartment and unjustly charged her a higher security deposit because of her sex.

Although HUD found no evidence of sex discrimination, it claimed Miell and a management company unlawfully retaliated against the tenant by terminating her lease and attempting to evict her because she filed a housing discrimination complaint.

An administrative law judge awarded the tenant and her family $20,150 in damages and assessed a civil penalty of $32,000 against Miell and his management corporation.

Telephone calls to Miell for comment went unanswered Friday.