(A) Any person who claims to have been injured by a discriminatory housing practice or who believes that he or she will be irrevocably injured by a discriminatory housing practice that is about to occur (hereafter referred to as "person aggrieved") may file a complaint with the Chairperson of the Board. The complaints shall be in writing and shall identify the person alleged to have committed or alleged to be about to commit the discriminatory housing practice and shall set forth the particulars thereof. The Chairperson of the Board is directed to prepare and adopt from time to time standard complaint forms and to furnish them without charge to any person aggrieved. The Chairperson of the Board and his or her staff and employees may assist in the clerical preparation of the complaints.
(B) The Chairperson of the Board shall receive and accept notification and referral of complaints from the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to the provisions of Title VIII, Fair Housing, Civil Rights Act of 1968, Pub. L. No. 90-284, 90th Congress, being 42 U.S.C. §§ 3601 et seq. and shall treat the complaints hereunder in the same manner as complaints filed directly by the person aggrieved with the Chairperson of the Board.
(C) If, in the course of any investigation as provided in § 103.08 hereof on a complaint filed with or referred to the Chairperson of the Board, he or she shall receive credible evidence and shall have probable cause to believe that the person or persons named in the complaint have committed or are about to commit a discriminatory housing practice on grounds not stated in the complaint, the Chairperson of the Board may prepare and file a supplementary complaint upon his or her own motion and in his or her own name and the supplementary complaint shall thereafter be treated in the same manner as an original complaint filed by a person aggrieved.
(D) If in the course of any investigation as provided in § 103.08 hereof on a complaint filed with or referred to the Chairperson of the Board, he or she shall receive or discover credible evidence and shall have probable cause to believe that the person or persons named in the complaint have committed or are about to commit a discriminatory housing practice or practices as to which no complaint has been filed, the Chairperson of the Board may prepare and file a complaint upon his or her own motion and in his or her own name and the complaint shall thereafter be treated in the same manner as a complaint filed by a person aggrieved.
(E) If at any time the Chairperson of the Board shall receive or discover credible evidence and shall have probable cause to believe that any person or persons have committed or are about to commit a discriminatory housing practice or practices as to which no complaint has been filed or is about to be filed, the Chairperson of the Board may prepare and file a complaint upon his or her own motion and in his or her own name and the complaint shall thereafter be treated in the same manner as a complaint filed by a person aggrieved.
(F) Upon the filing or referral of any complaint, the Chairperson of the Board shall furnish a copy of the same to the person or persons named in the complaint who allegedly committed or are about to commit the alleged discriminatory housing practice.
(G) A complaint under the four subsections shall be filed within 180 days after the alleged discriminatory housing practice occurred. Complaints shall state the facts upon which the allegations of a discriminatory housing practice are based. Complaints may be reasonably and fairly amended at any time. A respondent may file an answer to the complaint against him or her and, with the leave of the Chairperson of the Board, which shall be granted whenever it would be reasonable and fair to do so, may amend his or her answer at any time. Both complaints and answers shall be subscribed and sworn to before an officer authorized to administer oaths.
(Ord. 362, passed 4-11-1977)