A prospective buyer in Pennsylvania believes a real estate agent steered her away from certain neighborhoods based on her race. She files a complaint with the PHRC. What is the PHRC's first step after receiving the complaint?
Correct Answer
C) Investigate the complaint to determine whether probable cause exists
Under the PA Human Relations Act (43 P.S. §959), the PHRC's first step after receiving a complaint is to investigate. The investigation determines whether there is probable cause to believe discrimination occurred. Only after finding probable cause does the process move to conciliation and potentially a hearing.
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Related Topics & Key Terms
Key Terms:
Related Concepts
License requirements are the mandatory qualifications—including pre-licensing education, examination, and background checks—that a person must satisfy before legally practicing real estate. These requirements are established and enforced by each state's real estate commission.
Market allocation is an illegal antitrust practice in which competing real estate brokerages agree to divide markets among themselves by geographic area, property type, or price range, thereby eliminating competition.
Price fixing is an illegal antitrust practice in which competing real estate brokerages agree to charge the same commission rates, fees, or other pricing for their services. It is a per se violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
More Pa Fair Housing Human Relations Act Questions
A real estate agent in Pennsylvania is found by the PHRC to have engaged in steering based on race. In addition to PHRC remedies, the SREC considers disciplinary action. Under RELA, fair housing violations may result in which of the following SREC sanctions?
A landlord in Pennsylvania owns a duplex and lives in one unit. The landlord refuses to rent the other unit to a family because of their race. The landlord did not use a real estate agent or discriminatory advertising. Under fair housing law, is this landlord's action lawful?
Under the federal Fair Housing Act as applied in Pennsylvania, all of the following constitute prohibited discriminatory advertising EXCEPT:
A private, non-commercial religious organization in Pennsylvania owns a residential building and limits occupancy to members of its faith. The organization does not use a real estate broker and does not discriminate based on race. Under the PA Human Relations Act, is this practice lawful?
A landlord in Pennsylvania tells an applicant of Italian ancestry, 'We prefer tenants who are more American.' The applicant is denied the rental. Under the PA Human Relations Act, the landlord has violated protections based on which protected class?
- → A tenant in Pennsylvania wants to file a fair housing complaint but is unsure whether to file with the PHRC or pursue a private lawsuit. A key difference between the two approaches is:
- → A tenant in Pennsylvania files a housing discrimination complaint with both the PHRC and HUD simultaneously. Under the work-sharing agreement between these agencies, what typically happens?
- → Under the PA Human Relations Act, a person who has been the victim of housing discrimination may seek damages through which avenue(s)?
- → Under the PA Human Relations Act, the PHRC has jurisdiction over housing discrimination complaints filed in Pennsylvania. What is the PHRC's geographic jurisdiction?
- → Under the PA Human Relations Act, what role do local human relations commissions play in fair housing enforcement in Pennsylvania?
- → A person in Pennsylvania who has experienced housing discrimination but missed the 180-day PHRC filing deadline has which remaining option?
- → Under the PA Human Relations Act, the PHRC is designated as a 'substantially equivalent' agency by HUD. What does this designation mean?
- → Under the PA Human Relations Act, a real estate licensee who receives fair housing continuing education learns about 'testing.' What is fair housing testing?
- → If the PHRC and a respondent in a housing discrimination case reach a successful conciliation agreement, the agreement typically includes:
- → Under the PA Human Relations Act, the PHRC is composed of commissioners appointed by which official?
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Under the PA Human Relations Act, the PHRC has authority to take various enforcement actions. All of the following are within the PHRC's authority EXCEPT:
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A landlord in Pennsylvania receives notice that a PHRC investigator wants to inspect the rental property as part of a housing discrimination investigation. The landlord refuses access. Under the PA Human Relations Act, the PHRC may: