Effingham — Ch. 17 Art. VI Fair Housing § 17-180
Complaints
Operative Text
(a) Who may file. Complaints against any person who allegedly has or is about to violate this article may be filed with the commission by: (1) Any commission member; (2) Any aggrieved person; or (3) Any person who will be irrevocably injured by an imminent violation. (b) Filing fee. There shall be no charge for filing a complaint. (c) Form/contents of complaints. Complaints shall be written on forms provided by the commission and shall include: (1) Name, address, phone number (if any), and signature of the complainant; and (2) Concise statement of the facts on which the complaint is based. (d) Time limit, amendment. Any complaint shall be filed not later than sixty (60) days after the alleged violation. With the commission's permission, complaints may be amended at any time. (e) Service. The commission shall cause a copy of the complaint and any amendments thereto to be served on the alleged violator either personally or by registered mail. Complaints shall be served as promptly as possible, and in every case not later than concurrently with the commission's written findings of its investigation. Cross reference-- Investigation and conciliation, § 17-181 .
Section 17-180 of Effingham's Fair Housing ordinance establishes the process for filing complaints when someone has violated or is about to violate the article's fair housing protections. Complaints may be submitted by an aggrieved person, a commission member, or anyone facing irreversible harm from an imminent violation, and there is no filing fee. The complaint must be submitted in writing on the commission's official form within 60 days of the alleged violation, and the accused party must be formally served a copy of the complaint.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 17-180, property owners and managers should be aware that fair housing complaints can be initiated not only by directly affected individuals but also by commission members acting on their own authority. Once a complaint is filed, the commission is required to serve a copy on the named respondent, meaning operators will receive formal written notice of any allegations against them. Maintaining documented, consistent, and non-discriminatory practices in leasing and property management is the general approach compliant operators take to reduce exposure under this article.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 17-180 gives aggrieved individuals the right to file a fair housing complaint with the Effingham commission at no cost, using a standardized form available from the commission. The 60-day filing window from the date of the alleged violation is an important procedural deadline to keep in mind when considering this path. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid resources can help individuals understand whether their situation may qualify under this article and how to complete the complaint process described in § 17-180.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 9, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation