6News Lawrence: Judge orders landlord to pay damages for refusal to rent

Judge orders landlord to pay damages for refusal to rent

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

A judge has ordered a Lawrence landlord to pay more than $110,000 for refusing to rent to an interracial couple.

In a ruling filed this morning in District Court, Judge Stephen Six ordered Rex Youngquist to pay $75,000 in punitive damages for refusing to rent to Adrienne Morales and Wayne Jackson in 2002 at Villa 26 Townhomes, 2109 W 26th St.

In addition to the punitive damages, Six ordered Youngquist and his co-defendants – a co-owner and an apartment manager who are both his daughters – to pay $35,000 in attorneys’ fees.

And, he ordered Youngquist to pay a $1,000 sanction for failing to turn over information about his finances. Youngquist “refused to comply with the Court’s order requiring him to provide information, testimony and documents on his financial condition,” Six wrote.

A jury in May found that Youngquist committed illegal housing discrimination against Jackson and Morales. They awarded the couple $3,390 at the time but also found the couple was eligible to collect punitive damages.

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