JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A federal judge denied a motion from JWB and JWB Capital’s lawyers to dismiss a housing discrimination lawsuit filed against it.
Four people allege they were discriminated against after being denied the ability to rent one of JWB’s properties.
MORE: Click here to read the motion to dismiss.
The real estate company responded to the complaint and filed a motion to get it dismissed from federal court, but U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger said, “The court is satisfied with, at this juncture, that plaintiffs have alleged sufficient factual information to proceed on their FHA disparate impact claim.”
RELATED: JWB property management, former tenants come to settlement agreement in class action lawsuit
Now, the class action lawsuit will likely go to trial.
According to the Duval County property appraiser’s website, JWB owns 88 properties. JWB’s website says it owns or manages more than 5,000 properties.
JWB is part of a multi-billion-dollar project to revamp downtown Jacksonville.
Gateway Jax started as a partnership with DLP Capital and JWB Real Estate Capital. JWB has been buying multiple buildings.
The plaintiffs allege that in March 2023, the policies and practices of JWB and JWB Capital had a disproportionately adverse impact on applications from Black renters.
They claimed it is “the direct result of a policy which automatically disqualifies housing applicants based of an eviction filing against them in the last five years without regard to the outcome of those eviction filings...”
Now that the complaint will move forward in federal court, a jury will decide if the growing real estate company is targeting African Americans and discriminating against them or if their policy for applicants is valid.
News4JAX reached out to JWB’s and the plaintiff’s attorneys and is waiting to hear back.