Effingham — Ch. 17 Art. VI Fair Housing § 17-182
Investigation and conciliation
Operative Text
(a) The commission shall promptly investigate each complaint to determine whether there are reasonable grounds for believing a violation has occurred. The commission shall state its findings in writing not later than sixty (60) days after the filing of a complaint, and send copies thereof to both the complainant and the alleged violator. (b) The commissioner shall dismiss any complaint found to be factually or legally frivolous, and so notify the parties. (c) If the commission finds grounds for a complaint, it shall have not more than twenty (20) days from the date of such finding, or longer if all parties and the commission agree to an extension, in which to attempt to informally conciliate the matter. Nothing said or done at any conciliation conference shall be made public unless all parties agree thereto in writing.
Section 17-182 of Effingham's Fair Housing ordinance establishes a structured process for handling housing discrimination complaints. After a complaint is filed, the commission has up to 60 days to investigate and issue written findings to both parties. If the complaint has merit, the commission then has up to 20 days to attempt informal conciliation, and anything discussed during that process remains confidential unless all parties agree in writing to make it public. Frivolous complaints—those lacking factual or legal basis—are dismissed with notice to all involved parties.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 17-182, property owners and managers named in a fair housing complaint can expect to receive a written copy of the commission's findings within 60 days of the complaint being filed. If the commission identifies grounds for the complaint, a conciliation period of up to 20 days follows, during which compliant operators generally engage in good faith with the informal resolution process. Statements made during conciliation are confidential by default, so operators typically participate knowing those discussions are protected unless they agree otherwise in writing.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 17-182 gives tenants who file a fair housing complaint in Effingham the right to receive the commission's written findings within 60 days, along with an opportunity for informal resolution if the complaint is found to have merit. Tenants should be aware that anything discussed during the conciliation conference is kept confidential unless all parties agree in writing to disclose it. Those who believe their complaint was improperly dismissed as frivolous under § 17-182 may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider to understand available options.
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.
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